2023-06-21 08:02:07
It is a mode of manipulation intended to divert attention, often used by the Soviets when they were criticized for human rights violations. When Moscow was blamed for the mistreatment of detainees in the gulag prison camps in Siberia, the Soviets responded with ready-made formulas: What regarding the treatment of blacks by the Americans? What regarding past lynchings and current unjust incarcerations?
In short, whatregardingism (the “what-is-it-ism”) can divert attention from a problem and avoid having to address it directly by turning the criticism on the critic. The idea is to try to expose the hypocrisy of the other.
The terrible child of the Biden family, Hunter Biden is the target of Donald Trump’s defenders in an attempt to demonstrate that there are double standards in the application of justice. (File photo)
Photo : Getty Images / Drew Angerer
For example, when targeted by criticism of the Trump administration, Republicans would respond with this: What regarding Hunter Biden’s laptop? or What regarding Hillary Clinton’s emails?.
Or, in the case of the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol and Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election: What regarding civil unrest in 2020?, a reference to the protests that had followed the murder of George Floyd and who had highlighted the Black Lives Matter movement.
Such lame comparisons obviously crumble if one pays attention to what is retorted in these counter-attacks. However, the goal is not to give a sensible comparison but rather, some would say, to cloud the discourse.
Republicans turned specialists
This deviation tactic used by many politicians from all walks of life has, however, become, in recent years, the prerogative of Republicans. The Trump era is surely no stranger to this strategy.
The indictment of Donald Trump for withholding government documents has also given rise to the inevitable false equivalencies regarding the conduct of Donald Trump’s main political rival, Democrat Joe Biden, and his supposed stranglehold on the US Department of Justice.
Republicans, including former President Trump’s campaign team and his closest rival for the nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, immediately accused the department of forwarding Donald’s indictment. Trump by what they call a ruse intended, they say, to give the impression that the Biden administration is applying the law evenly for Hunter Biden.
Today proves that there is clearly a two-tier justice system: one for the Democrats and one once morest President Trump, said Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign. As President Trump predicted earlier this month, Hunter received special treatment that sweeps his crimes under the rug in a blatant attempt to interfere with the 2024 election. hyperbole, like every day, in all its press releases.
Donald Trump evokes preferential treatment for Hunter Biden when he himself claims to be the victim of relentlessness on the part of the Department of Justice. (File photo)
Photo : Getty Images / Spencer Platt
Let’s talk regarding preferential treatment, precisely. During his arrest and indictment in Miami, as part of the national security case of the classified documents, Donald Trump did not have his passport taken away or asked to post bail for his release. If a simple person had faced the same charges, it’s a safe bet that the treatment would have been different.
Republicans are pointing the finger at the Justice Department’s alleged bias over classified documents found at Joe Biden’s home. In addition to evoking militarization (weaponization) of justice, they denounce the witch hunt once morest Trump, while President Biden is getting away with it. They forget to mention that Mike Pence was also cleared, however, but that doesn’t work in their selling reasoning.
It should also be added that Mike Pence and Joe Biden both invited the FBI to search for documents in their premises, while Donald Trump did everything to keep them in his possession and, moreover, gave the opportunity to many of the world to browse these documents, however confidential, in his Florida domain.
Yes, but Hunter in all this?
Since Monday, Republicans have been doubling down on whatregardingism by promising that they will continue to investigate Hunter Biden to find the link with his father’s president. Hunter’s laptop, his supposed backroom negotiations, his payments received from alleged Chinese companies, an alleged scandal that the Bidens received millions of dollars in bribes from a Ukrainian businessman, everything going there.
Not for a few days, but for several years. And, so far, no charges have been filed.
In his House of Representatives committee, James Comer is trying to build a case on the Bidens. (File photo)
Photo : Getty Images / Alex Wong
During an interview with House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, Fox News host Bill Hemmer asked the Republican regarding the findings of the long-running investigation, including a supposed wire transfer of $3 million sent to Joe Biden following his departure from the Obama administration.
You put your finger on it at some point. You said what they did for that money. Do you have an answer? Mr. Hemmer asked. I don’t, replied Mr. Comer. And the Fox News host drops: It’s been five years and what have we got? Five years is a long time to investigate…
Yes, but Trump, then?
Meanwhile, you don’t hear from those same Republicans defending Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents. And Donald Trump, he continues to give ammunition to the prosecutors of the case of the classified documents by incriminating himself more each day by his inflammatory, incoherent and frankly disturbing statements.
The close interview conducted by Brett Baier, Monday evening on Fox News, gave rise to good examples of this situation which gives the lawyers of the ex-president the opportunity to tear their hair out.
The trial of former President Trump in the national security and classified documents case is scheduled to begin on August 14. (File photo)
Photo : Getty Images / Alon Skuy
This whatregardingism, of pointing at someone else to distract from one’s own guilt, is like what children are taught to do when they get caught in the candy bag.
With the potential August 14 date for the start of Trump’s trial over the classified documents and the charges in the Georgia election interference case set to be made public around the same date, the good old trick of hijacking beware of the bag of sweets is likely to be used to who better better.
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