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.
------------------------
find the challenge here:
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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