Congress Quote by Noam Chomsky
“It was declared by Congress that marijuana makes people insane. But . . . lawyers, defense lawyers, got the idea, OK, I can use this for an insanity defense.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on drug policy, 1990s
The quote highlights how legal loopholes can be exploited, turning a flawed premise into a courtroom strategy.
In simple terms: Lawyers can twist bad laws for defense.
Key Takeaway
Beware of using faulty premises in arguments.
Themes
law
defense
policy
logic
Mood
critical
skeptical
analytical
Type
political
legal
critical
When to use this quote
- courtroom defense
- legislative drafting
- public policy debate
Key Concepts
legal strategy
policy critique
argumentation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we prevent misuse of legal technicalities?
- What safeguards protect against faulty premises in law?
A Different Perspective
Relies on exaggerated claim about Congress; may oversimplify complex drug policy.
![“Marijuana is the finest anti-nausea medication known to science, and our leaders have lied about this consistently. [Arresting people for] medical marijuana is the most hideous example of government interference in the private lives of individuals. It's an outrage within an outrage within an…” quote by Peter McWilliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b56/peter-mcwilliams-2236_consistently_marijuana-is-the-finest-anti-nausea-medi_361851.jpg)
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
![“I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect [Donald Trump], or then-president [Barack Obama]. But it's - I'm very clear. I voted for the change that put the Army Field Manual in place as a member of Congress. I understand that law very, very quickly and am also deeply aware…” quote by James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/761/james-mattis-9515_army_i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-th_3990.jpg)
![“As the longest serving Independent in the history of the United States Congress, as somebody who came into office by defeating an incumbent Democratic mayor in Burlington, Vermont, I know something about third party politics. And I respect Jill [Stein].” quote by Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/94c/bernie-sanders-233_congress_as-the-longest-serving-independent-in-th_10777.jpg)
