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The Weekly Screed
Six words (FCUCPW) by David Benjamin “The longer they talk about identity politics, I got ’em. I want them to talk about racism every day. If the left is focused on race and identity… we can crush the Democrats.” — Steve Bannon MADISON, Wis. — As creepy as it feels to agree with Steve Bannon,…
Read More...‘The Wheel of Life or Death’ in the Casino of Care by David Benjamin “If your baby is going to die and it doesn’t have to, it shouldn’t matter how much money you make.” — Jimmy Kimmel MADISON, Wis. — My friend, Dr. Wilhelm “Doc Holiday” Bienfang, America’s foremost “idea man,” is sweating out the…
Read More...The Day of the Dope by David Benjamin “I will give you everything. I will give you what you’ve been looking for for 50 years. I’m the only one.” — Donald Trump MADISON, Wis. — Most of us who remember Albert Schweitzer regard him as a selfless healer who forsook his religious and academic vocation…
Read More...Black Tidings greet the next Olympics by David Benjamin “We shall not have peace until the prejudices that now separate the different races shall have been outlived. To attain this end, what better means than to bring the youth of all countries periodically together for amicable trials of muscular strength and agility?” — Pierre de…
Read More...What’s in a statue? by David Benjamin “If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence.” — Justice Louis D. Brandeis MADISON, Wis. — One of my favorite photo subjects is the…
Read More...Useless stuff I’m glad I learned (mostly in high school) by David Benjamin “… And we, so sadly past the bonfire and celebration of our birth, Shall burn quietly, Passing, on a zephyr, into a new realm And blaze anew.” — David Benjamin, Robert M. LaFollette High school yearbook, 1967 MADISON, Wis. — Looking forward…
Read More...“… Many sides, many sides…” by David Benjamin “We are determined to take our country back. We are going to fulfill the promises of Donald Trump. That’s what believed in. That’s why we voted for Donald Trump.” — David Duke, former Imperial Wizard, Ku Klux Klan MADISON, Wis. — Well hooray for David Duke. Duke…
Read More...Big Al, Big Kim and Little Don by David Benjamin MADISON, Wis. — It’s fashionable at the moment to discern an uncanny similarity between the “nut jobs” — one in New Jersey, the other in Pyongyang — who’ve been, for several days, pissing figuratively on one another’s shoes. Indeed, both Donald Trump and Kim Jong…
Read More...Our common wealth by David Benjamin “When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Will you give me a drink?’” — John 4:7 PARIS — The history of great cities always involves water — how much water the city consumes, where it comes from, what happens if there isn’t enough, who controls…
Read More...Slobs abroad by David Benjamin “There ought to be a law prohibiting over three Americans going anywhere abroad together.” — Will Rogers PARIS — Tourists, tourists, tourists! You’re everywhere, and you’re underfoot. You bump into me, you bump into each other. What in God’s name are you eating? Why are you eating on the street? People…
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