Argentina's Milei Accused of Plagiarizing 'The West Wing' in UNGA Speech

Above: President of Argentina Javier Milei and President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele wave from the Argentine Government house balcony as part of a visit to Argentina at Casa Rosada on September 30, 2024 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Image copyright: Tomas Cuesta/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

As if burning more bridges with the international community at the General Assembly weren't enough of an embarrassment for Argentina, it turns out that parts of Milei's speech were plagiarized from "The West Wing." Instead of trying to lecture the world on the best way forward, he should focus on his own country as the numbers aren't currently on his side.

Establishment-critical narrative

Whether Milei did or did not take inspiration from "The West Wing" for his speech at the General Assembly this year, what matters is that his remarks will be remembered for years to come, as he made clear the rarely-spoken truth about the UN to an audience that didn't want to hear it. These reports are merely a distraction from the challenge Milei has posed to the international establishment.

Metaculus Prediction

There's a 15% chance that Argentina will fully dollarize its economy before 2028, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


Establishment split

CRITICAL

PRO