Cameron nicks Obama’s line after three days


by Sunny Hundal    
7:22 pm - August 15th 2011

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In a speech responding to the riots, David Cameron said:

The restoration of responsibility has to cut right across our society.

Because whatever the arguments, we all belong to the same society, and we all have a stake in making it better.

There is no ‘them’ and ‘us’ – there is us.

We are all in this together, and we will mend our broken society – together.

[Emphasis mine] That was said this morning and it was his punchline.

But only three days ago, US President Barack Obama used that same line in a speech:

There’s no them and us – it’s just us

Oh dear. Perhaps Cameron needs to get a better speech-writer?

(hat tip @spygun and @chuzzlit)

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About the author
Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
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Reader comments


1. RickB

This is obviously a very very slow diplomatic tit for tat war after Joe Biden stole Kinnock’s speech, expect President Bristol Palin (Americans For Liberty Constitution Party sponsored by Koch Industries) to use a line from a Prime Minister Romeo Beckham (English Conservative Defence Party- Because you’re worth it) speech sometime in 2035.

2. Name Required

Monkey see monkey do

3. Matthew

Hmm. This isn’t really an uncommon idea surely. It’s expressed pretty clearly and using mostly the same words in this video http://youtu.be/PEtIR0xHDfk?t=2m32s from 2008.

4. Anthony

Bill Clinton used the line in his stump speeches in 1992. http://anthonycooper.blogspot.com/2011/08/stealing-stolen-lines.html

5. Tim J

Is it even possible to steal a cliche? It’s one of the most time-worn phrases imaginable.

This is what speech plagiarism looks like:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/alexmassie/3257211/brown-does-a-biden.thtml


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Liberal Conspiracy

    Cameron nicks Obama's lines after just three days http://t.co/6tIy3Yw

  2. Suma

    Cheeky! RT @libcon: Cameron nicks Obama's lines after just three days http://t.co/zGwazUl

  3. Kris Houghton

    Cameron nicks Obama's lines after just three days http://t.co/6tIy3Yw

  4. sunny hundal

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  5. Me

    Cameron nicks Obama's lines after just three days http://t.co/6tIy3Yw

  6. mandi riseman

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  7. Faron Bloomfield

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  8. Hazel Midgley

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  9. Jason Mcintyre

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  10. Altany

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  11. La Morkina

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  12. Kim Blake

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  13. James Dunford

    Cameron nicks Obama's lines after just three days http://t.co/6tIy3Yw

  14. Lee Hyde

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  15. Tracy Young

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  16. MervynDinnen

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  17. Watching You

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  18. Ashley Walsh

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  19. Stephen Harman

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  20. Stephen Harman

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  21. Mrs Lionel Messi

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  22. Mrs Lionel Messi

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  23. Andrew Fenlon

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  24. Andrew Fenlon

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  25. SSchleifer

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  26. SSchleifer

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  27. Phil McNally

    Cameron steals one of Obama's lines after 3 days-what a lazy fraud we have as PM http://t.co/aAgV2Wm

  28. Phil McNally

    Cameron steals one of Obama's lines after 3 days-what a lazy fraud we have as PM http://t.co/aAgV2Wm

  29. Andrew Böber™

    Cameron nicks Obama's lines after just three days http://t.co/6tIy3Yw

  30. Magic Torch

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  31. magicredpill

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  32. jude

    Cameron nicks Obama’s line after three days | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/EKnGXFS via @libcon

  33. Jack England

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  34. malcolm

    Cameron nicks Obama's lines after just three days http://t.co/6tIy3Yw

  35. Linda Machax

    RT @sunny_hundal:Hah!David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/n7jmgXb – excellent spot by @spygun

  36. Maureen Czarnecki

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  37. Alice

    @spygun spots Cameron nicks line f/Obama http://t.co/UycOzn3 Wat abt Obama's 'millionaires & billionaires' – Paul Simon's Boy In A Bubble?

  38. Ashley Harnett

    Cameron nicks Obama’s line after three days | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/loGW2Pw via @libcon

  39. Dr Rita Pal

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  40. Liam McKee

    Cameron nicks Obama’s line after three days | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/loGW2Pw via @libcon

  41. Oasis Caretaker

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  42. Warren Niblock

    Stealing is wrong you say Dave? ;) http://t.co/UC4LZe9

  43. Kirstin Donaldson

    Cameron nicks Obama's lines after just three days http://t.co/6tIy3Yw

  44. tracy e

    Cameron nicks Obama’s line after three days | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/oDKIGxM via @libcon

  45. Let's Change

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  46. Lauren G

    Cameron nicks Obama's line, screws it up http://t.co/pngyX92 (also, Obama's version pleasingly close to Discworld Death)

  47. alien from saturn

    Cameron nicks Obama's line, screws it up http://t.co/pngyX92 (also, Obama's version pleasingly close to Discworld Death)

  48. syrieyes

    RT @analiensaturn: RT @geeoharee: Cameron nicks Obama's line, screws it up http://t.co/5lGONJ3 (also, Obama's … http://t.co/dmOD5nZ

  49. Stephe Meloy

    Hah! David Cameron nicks a key line from an Obama speech just three days ago http://t.co/WAZiZ8e – excellent spot by @spygun

  50. Stephe Meloy

    Cameron nicks Obama's lines after just three days http://t.co/6tIy3Yw

  51. ShesGotSpies

    Cameron nicks Obama's lines after just three days http://t.co/6tIy3Yw

  52. joy

    Cameron nicks Obama’s line after three days | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/38YNKOT via @libcon

  53. Robert Cook

    Cameron nicks Obama’s line after three days | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/EYpu751 via @libcon





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