Corbyn cheerleader-in-chief Owen Jones frequently rallies against what he calls ‘whataboutery.’ For those not familiar with the word, it is a technique used to distract people from talking about injustices on your own side by bringing up atrocities elsewhere. Or, in his own words:
Given whataboutery is used to deflect responsibility for misdemeanours and crimes committed by ones own side this is a hilarious ironic tweet
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) April 8, 2018
It is a charge he frequently aims at his critics on the right. But is Jones guilty of it himself when it comes to the Labour leader? Mr Steerpike thinks so. Last night, as Corbyn’s story fell apart over his laying of a wreath on the graves of a terrorist, Jones rose to his idol’s defence on social media. But in a bizarre fashion, he quickly moved the discussion from Corbyn to the British government, to Saudi Arabia and then to Yemen. He went on to say that whether or not Corbyn had taken part in a ceremony at a terrorist’s grave, it wasn’t so bad because ‘no one has (been) killed by a wreath.’ Well, that certainly sets the bar low.
Let’s be clear. Saudi Arabia is a terrorist state. It slaughters innocent people for political ends. It exports extremism. It is armed and backed by the British government. No one has killed by a wreath. Countless civilians have been killed by British-supplied bombs.
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) August 13, 2018
But Jones’ ‘whataboutery’ didn’t stop there. When asked if he would say the same to the widows of the Munich victims, he replied:
Would you be willing to defend British arms sales to Saudi Arabia to the parent of a 8 year old Yemeni child whose head was ripped from their body?
If I thought Corbyn supported (let alone provided weapons for) the despicable Munich atrocity, let's reopen this conversation.
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) August 13, 2018
Mr S thinks that Jones should take his own advice and ditch the whataboutery…
Comments