Confederacy of Dunces

[TexasTowelie]

By Susan Bankston, aka JuanitaJean

Let me just start off this month by saying that I personally and strongly endorse the president going to war with North Korea. Not our military, of course—just the president.

I feel dead-solid certain that someone here in Texas will loan Trump a gun. And if you think about it, borrowing Buddy and Dwayne’s bass boat for a quick trip to invade North Korea may be the safest way for Trump to get away from this How-I-Screwed-Up-the-Whole-Damn-Presidency thing.

Honey, I’m not saying Trump is nuts. I’m just saying he has really bad luck when it comes to thinking.

When the White-and-Not-Too-Bright Confederate Glee Club decided to fight the removal of a Robert E. Lee monument in Virginia, Trump immediately denounced “many sides” of the conflict. Well, there definitely were two sides: the side that was slamming a car into the crowd, and the equally vicious side getting hit by that car while standing there not doing a damn thing.

Read more: http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2017/09/confederacy-of-dunces/

[Rhiannon12866]

1. This title couldn't be more perfect!

[TexasTowelie]

2. I agree that the title is a good fit.

It's another humorous spoof from Juanita Jean. She has become a Texas treasure much like Mollie Ivins, RIP.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. On more than one level. I'm surprised nobody used it before

I have to admit I never read the novel, but the movie version has been "in development" for a few years. And this is definitely a "Good Read," important stuff mitigated by humor.

[Siwsan]

9. I read the book years ago. The title is my go to descriptive for trump and his administration

I wish John Kennedy Toole had lived to realize and enjoy the amazing success of his work.

[syringis]

4. What mean "dunces" ?

I know I could search by myself but I feel a little lazy this morning

I remember a title in Wa Po calling Trump's Administration a " Confrery of dingbats". I thought it was a suitable naming.

Is it the same meaning for "dunces" ?

By the way, I agree with Ms Bankston. We should put these 2 idiots somewhere far from any form of life, put one (or more) gun in their hands and let them play their favorite game "I have the bigger one"...

The problem is to find a place where to lock them...

[murielm99]

5. A dunce is a person slow to learn.

In classrooms, they used to sit in the corner, wearing a giant cone-shaped hat.

A Confederacy of Dunces is an interesting book that had a cult following, then came to the attention of a wider audience. The author committed suicide years before it was published. It won the Pulitzer Prize.

That is the reference, unless I have missed something important about this thread.

[syringis]

7. I should slap myself...

I know the book and have read it in the 80's. "La conjuration des imbéciles" by JK Toole.

A great and interesting book. I'll read it again but in English this time. It is sad that the author commited suicide. He was talented and a smart observer of his time.

[TexasTowelie]

6. Hello syringis,

A dunce is someone who is slow at learning and considered to be stupid. There is a stereotype that dunces are the students that were made to sit in the corner of the classroom by teachers while wearing a conical hat as demonstrated by this smilie on DU for dunces.

Ms. Bankston is somewhat of a legend among liberals in Texas. She is active in the Democratic Party at the local levels and has served as a delegate at the state conventions for Fort Bend County which is southwest of Houston. She has her own blog, "Juanita Jean's -- The World's Most Dangerous Beauty Salon, Inc." which mixes in humor, Texas stereotypes and humor. It does require some knowledge of Texas politics to get all of the jokes, but I enjoy her writing.

I see that you are posting frequently so I hope that you are enjoying yourself and also learning by venturing over to DU.

[syringis]

8. Hello Texas Towelie

Thank you.

Oh yes, I really enjoy DU.

Not only people are friendly and sympathic but I learned more than I would have by reading news.

Well there is probably, as anywhere a few that are less sympathic but I still haven't meet them or maybe I have a good personal radar which makes me avoid them?

[Ohiya]

10. The conical hat...

... is called a dunce cap.

[Jim Lane]

11. Credit for the phrase goes to Jonathan Swift.

Posts upthread refer to the novel by John Kennedy Toole. It is indeed an outstanding work. (For those of you who ever listen to books on tape, I can enthusiastically recommend the reading by Barrett Whitener. He does a great job of voicing the many distinctive characters.)

Toole, however, borrowed the phrase from an epigram by Jonathan Swift: "When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."