this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2026
177 points (72.5% liked)

Memes

54108 readers
813 users here now

Rules:

  1. Be civil and nice.
  2. Try not to excessively repost, as a rule of thumb, wait at least 2 months to do it if you have to.

founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] BanMeFromPosting@hexbear.net 16 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

You do understand how saying "two things can be true at once" as if you're talking to an actual toddler is incredibly condescending and not a good place from whence to start a conversation, right? Have the basic respect for someone you're talking and assume they also have object permanence.
Stepping into the room like you're the enlightened Buddha whose shit don't stink, because you just figured out that both Biden and Trump can be senile at the same time, only has the effect to make everyone else look at you like the idiot you are for

  1. Not figuring it out earlier and
  2. Behaving as if you're presenting some novel insight.

Alternatively if you're trying to dunk on someone have the basic respect for the audience and be either effective or original, which "two things can be true at once" is, ironically, neither.

Edit: its also an incredibly reductive way of approaching geopolitics. Reducing critique of US foreign policy to "our guy bad yes, but their guy bad also!!" is in fact what whataboutism is supposed to describe. It's a rhetorical trick drawing a line where the only discussion about world events can be about wether one of the two things the iniator mentions is more true than another. Bring up a third thing or a more in-depth critique of one of the two pre-existing things and you'll get drowned out.
It's a thought-terminating cliché.

[–] BanMeFromPosting@hexbear.net 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

@Saapas@piefed.zip who I can't respond to for some reason: good point! Wish I'd mentioned that

Alternatively if you’re trying to dunk on someone have the basic respect for the audience and be either effective or original, which “two things can be true at once” is, ironically, neither.

Whoops. Read the rest of the text next time buddy.

[–] Saapas@piefed.zip -1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

"RuSsIa MaN BaD!!"

Not what I'd call peak originality lol.

Not sure why you can't reply to me though. I'm testing if it works for me replying to you (E: seems to work, might be an instance thing but no idea why it would only work in one direction)

[–] Saapas@piefed.zip -2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

You do understand how saying “two things can be true at once” as if you’re talking to an actual toddler is incredibly condescending and not a good place from whence to start a conversation, right? Have the basic respect for someone you’re talking and assume they also have object permanence.

If OP was looking for adult conversation, this title might've not been the greatest place to start lol:

Libs: "RuSsIa MaN BaD!!"

[–] RiverRock@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Gets called out for acting like a child

"Heh, just trying to make you feel at home"

The shithead classic

[–] Saapas@piefed.zip -1 points 1 week ago

That was a different guy though