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when whataboutery barges in, how do we meet her?

for paul & john's 47-words short story unofficial challenge

By aliPublished 8 months ago • Updated 8 months ago • 1 min read
Naarm (melbourne), 12th february 2026 / protest sign reads: I am not free until my liberation does not cost yours / photo by me

whataboutery came for me, barging boldly, bleating

if you care about this you couldn’t possibly care about that.

as if care’s capacity is capped

and contradictory concepts cannot co-exist

and advocating here equals anti there.

protesting for peace in Palestine

what about Iran? Sudan?

no. genocide. anywhere.

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find the challenge here:

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About the Creator

ali

a tangled mess of thoughts. occasionally a clear one bursts through. how about writing things in a public forum? seems wise.

she / her

unceded Wurundjeri & Boon Wurrung Lands

substack: aliwriteswords

insta / upscrolled: @aliwriteswords

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    Written by ali