When politicians come under fire for missteps or failures, they often rely on the technique of trying to shift the focus onto others. In an attempt to
duck responsibility, scrutiny, accountability, they often create "scapegoats" to shift blame onto. They try to lay their failures at the
feet of others or make a way to justify them. They may try to shift the debate entirely onto a completely irrelevant and different subject. One example is to make a drastic decision that completely shifts focus from the previous subject of scrutiny onto this new drastic change or subject brought into light by the
government. Seen commonly by politicians and on a less refined level , regular people supporting a political
party or figure in arguments or debates, or as a psychological attempt to manipulate others in regular domestic situations. In
politics the tactic is entirely strategic and is arguably one of the most devious and disreputable in the eyes of honest morality and accountability, but is quite common in
politics around the world.
When Soviet leaders were questioned about human rights violations in the USSR, for example, they might've come back with, "
Well, what about the Negroes that you
Americans are lynching in the
South?" - One example of a political deflection
