The “Both Sides” argument moves in as reassurance we have a national dialogue one could call functional. It’s cover for everyone to look at our politics and say, yep, everything is okay. Both things are not true.

If the extremism of the right is just the other side, then it’s not that out of the ordinary. If the lying, cheating, and gaming is talked about in the same breath as normal political hyperbole then the lying, cheating, and gaming must be normal too.

Whataboutisms dull us. Our efforts to make imaginary scales balanced weakens us. When we soften language as to not offend those sliding into authoritarianism we give the tyrants cover.

Not calling a fascist a fascist is leading us to fascism. An insurrectionist vs a politician is not the same. We can act like it is right up until the final boot on our necks or we can open our eyes.

When politicians say “both sides” they’re trying to justify unacceptable behavior. When our media leans on “both sides” it’s a lazy disservice. When citizens find “both sides” to be the answer to maddening questions we let the madness fester.

If we are on a quest for balance, “both sides” must be the way, we tell ourselves. When we do this, we stop demanding policies to help address our modern, very American problems. Problems that are fixable, but only if we act.

And when we don’t act, once again, the fascists win.