Biden accused of plagiarism over acceptance speech

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• According to Canadian media, Democratic Party presidential nominee Joe Biden’s acceptance speech on Thursday sounded the same with Canada’s left-wing New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton in 2011.
• The former vice president had a history of plagiarism involvements that can be traced back from his school days.
• Biden’s camp has not yet responded to a request for comment about the incident.

According to reports, former Vice President Joe Biden, Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, was again challenged with another plagiarist claim over his acceptance speech during Thursday’s Democratic National Convention. 

Canadian media quickly associated Biden’s words with the late Jack Layton, the leader of Canada’s left-wing New Democratic Party, who released an open letter to Canadians two days before passing away in 2011.

“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair,” Layton wrote.

As he ended his speech on Thursday night, Biden said: “For love is more powerful than hate. Hope is more powerful than fear. Light is more powerful than dark.” Biden’s play of words gave some Canadian people a deja vu.

“A number of Canadians are struck by the similar parting words of Biden’s speech to the final words of Jack Layton’s farewell letter before his death,” CBC’s Washington correspondent Alexander Panetta tweeted.

Layton’s message was likewise the same as what former Canadian Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier said in 1916. “Let me tell you that for the solution of these problems you have a safe guide, an unfailing light if you remember that faith is better than doubt and love is better than hate,” Laurier said.

The disparity between the words of the three leaders was able to pass the S4,200 anti-plagiarism software program that was reportedly tapped by Biden’s campaign in 2019.

The former VP’s camp has been already asked for a comment but did not immediately respond.

Biden had an infamous history of using other people’s words.

In 1965, Biden reportedly failed a class after continuously citing published works without attribution.

In 1987, the former vice president used the words of UK Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock in a Democratic presidential debate. Biden went beyond by attributing Kinnock’s family history as his own that resulted in his embarrassing drop out of the race.

And just last year, he drew flak after using words from climate activist groups in his own climate change scheme which did not go unnoticed by President Donald Trump.

“Plagiarism charge against Sleepy Joe Biden on his ridiculous Climate Change Plan is a big problem, but the Corrupt Media will save him,” Trump said.

Source: New York Post