Opinions of Tuesday, 24 January 2017

Columnist: Dabbousi, Fadi

NDC Ignorami can’t tell when plagiarism is plagiarism

Fadi Dabbousi Fadi Dabbousi

Perhaps, it would be more appropriate to feel sorry for those who use the umbrella while taking a bath under the shower. In fact, you are only eligible for this sort of empathy if you become an NDC sympathiser or member because that is the easiest way to derogate yourself from the world of wisdom, sense, and qualified competence.

True to their promise never to allow His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to govern in peace, incompetent members of the NDC began exhibiting their ludicrousness from the minute the President finished reading his inaugural speech. They clamoured emptily, accusing him of plagiarism, albeit ignorantly. I have often said that in writing speeches for leaders, it is permissible to use powerful quotes from that of great people so that the intended message would be delivered in the desired manner. It is also permissible, for the smoothness of the narration, not to acknowledge the source of the quote(s). Noticeably, most American presidents did plagiarise excerpts of speeches of their predecessors or thinkers without recourse to any form of recognition; and so did British Politicians and others all over the world.

Presidents John F. Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan, Bill Clinton, George Bush Jr, Barack Obama, and now Donald John Trump borrowed quotes from great speeches, and for the same purpose as explained above. Donald Trump, plagiarised a number of statements in his inaugural speech as was expected. Below are instances of plagiarism in the inaugural speech of the 45th President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump: “We are one nation…and their pain is our pain; their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny”. That was Barry B. Benson’s in Bee Movie of 2007, “We are one colony…and their pain is our pain; their dreams are our dreams; their success will be our success. We share one heart, one hive, and one glorious destiny.”

In another part of his speech, Donald Trump went on to say, “And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same Almighty Creator.” That was taken from Colonel Miles Quaritch’s in the famous film Avator of 2009, “And whether a human child is born on earth or in the space colonies or the windswept planet of Kabuska, they look up at the same stars. They fill their life with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of conquer by the same Almighty Creator.”

But Donald Trump’s speech went down well with the Americans and those who watched him throughout the whole world, including the NDC freaks; those same people who were accusing Nana Akufo-Addo of plagiarism. The fact that such form of plagiary is legal tender and can be taken to any bank means that it is basically okay not to refer to the source of the quote because it is infused in the speech, intertwined, interlaced, and beautifully sexed up to make for a powerful delivery of the mighty people, especially those cherry-picked by holy ordinance to perform a duty spelled out by The Creator.

Besides, most of the speeches of the former NDC President, John Dramani Mahama, consisted of plagiarised quotes from speeches that were not referenced, so why do people expose their nothingness in such a vile manner?

Let us put this issue to rest, and admonish the NDC reprobates that, really, as we were taught by our parents and elders in our youth that “Sometimes, silence is Golden”, it is wise to adopt such lessons in order to maintain one’s dignity. But were such banza (useless) critics ever taught sense in their childhood. In this context, I have a number of people on my mind: Kofi Pot-coffee; Asiedu Nkatie; Kokoon Anyidoho; Okudzetu Ablakwa; Kwadwo Twum Buffoon; Kofi Madam; Anita de susu; etc.

In the meantime, let me continue picking my teeth, today’s fufu was the best.