Argentine president Milei under fire for plagiarized UN speech
In Argentina, the aftermath of President Javier Milei's recent speech at the UN summit continues to reverberate. However, it turns out that the controversy is not due to his delivery style but to the content, which has been accused of being plagiarized. According to local media, some parts were copied from the TV series "The West Wing."
3:28 PM EDT, October 7, 2024
For several days, almost all of Argentina has been talking about President Javier Milei and his speech during the recent UN summit. It immediately stirred a lot of emotions, which have now intensified further. This is due to media reports suggesting that the Argentine president’s speech was plagiarized.
We believe in the defense of life for everyone. We believe in the defense of property for everyone. We believe in freedom of speech for everyone. We believe in freedom of religion for everyone. We believe in free trade for everyone... And because these days what happens in one country quickly affects other countries, we believe that all people should live free from tyranny and oppression, whether in the form of political oppression, economic slavery, or religious fanaticism. This basic idea cannot just be words — it must be supported by actions: diplomatically, economically, and materially — Javier Milei said on September 24.
Although the speech fully matched what the president advocates daily, many people found it strangely familiar. The effects did not take long to manifest. Journalists and internet users managed to explain that it is almost an identical copy of a fictional speech by U.S. President Jed Bartlet from the series "The West Wing."
President of Argentina plagiarized his speech
We are for freedom of speech everywhere. We are for freedom of religion everywhere. We are for the freedom to learn... for everyone. And because in our times you can build a bomb in your own country and bring it to my country, what happens in your country is also my business. And that is why we are for freedom from tyranny, everywhere, whether in the form of political oppression... or economic slavery... or religious fanaticism... This most basic idea cannot be achieved solely with our symbolic support. It must be achieved with our strength: diplomatically, economically, materially — we could hear this in the series from 21 years ago.
The issue greatly moved the Argentine media, which disagreed with the president and directly asked, "Didn't anyone else notice this?" As it later turned out, the inclusion of this type of quote was due to a strategist advising the president, who was a big fan of the series and its writer.
