[sphinxster]

Whataboutism is whataboutism.

Attempting to invoke the thankfully largely-discarded concept of "whataboutism" is actually just a kind of backhanded ad hominem used to avoid making a real argument and instead try to make people "look the other way".

Criticism of the existing financial system in the context of discussing a proposed replacement for it is about as related a discussion as possible.

Simply stating that all crypto is bad/criminal adds nothing of value to the discussion.

The truth is that there are (as there generally is with new technologies), useful and practical purposes to which they are applied. Indeed, the majority instances so far of "crypto" having caused harm has actually been the result of an ordinary centralised trust-based fraud donning the label "crypto" to draw in victims to loot.

The #1 mantra of crypto has always been "not your keys, not your coins". Had it been followed, instead of perverted into its opposite and mislabelled "crypto", the most heinous of these scams would not have been enabled.

The thing most actively facilitating crime and fraud in "crypto" lately is the profoundly misguided belief that giving your money to someone you've never met you saw on TV is safer than keeping it in your own wallet.

Crypto is not to blame for that belief, it was invented to provide an alternative.

[AustinDev]

>Whataboutism is whataboutism.

>Attempting to invoke the thankfully largely-discarded concept of "whataboutism" is actually just a kind of backhanded ad hominem used to avoid making a real argument and instead try to make people "look the other way".

Moments of clarity like this are one of the main reasons I keep coming back to this place. :D

[smrtinsert]

What about the fact that I have no idea what credentials he has with regard to analyzing the banking system vs crypto? Please don't disregard my perfectly valid question as an ad hominem attack

[hypertele-Xii]

Whataboutism is the derailment of discussion by roping in irrelevant subjects. Saying "that's off-topic" is not a personal attack.

[ZGDUwpqEWpUZ]

Accusing someone of deliberately derailing a conversation when they're doing no such thing is obviously going to be taken as an insult.

You can question the relevance of a comparison without questioning the integrity of the person bringing it up: say it's off-topic and explain why.

More often than not, accusations of "whataboutery" are used to avoid having to explain why something isn't relevant and thus avoid addressing whatever point is being made. I'd go as far as to say it's why the word even exists.