--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Washington is the only lunatic asylum in…" description: "\"“Washington is the only lunatic asylum in the world run by its own inmates.”\" — W. Lee O'Daniel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/w-lee-o-daniel-286058_politics_washington-is-the-only-lunatic-asylum-in_904567.jpg" --- # Washington is the only lunatic asylum in the world run by… ![“Washington is the only lunatic asylum in the world run by its own inmates.” quote by W. Lee O'Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/w-lee-o-daniel-286058_politics_washington-is-the-only-lunatic-asylum-in_904567.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/w-lee-o-daniel-286058_politics_washington-is-the-only-lunatic-asylum-in_904567.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aee/w-lee-o-daniel-286058_politics_washington-is-the-only-lunatic-asylum-in_904567.jpg) > ““Washington is the only lunatic asylum in the world run by its own inmates.”” [W. Lee O'Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-lee-o-daniel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques political power as self‑destructive, where those in control act like patients in an asylum. **In simple terms:** Politics can become a self‑inflicted madness. Key Takeaway Beware of power that turns on itself. Themes politics power government madness Washington Mood skeptical critical ironic Type Asylum:1 Madness:1 Politics:1 Politics-of-the-united-states:1 Washington:1 Lunatic Asylum:1 Washington Lunatic:0 Asylum World:0 When to use this quote - elections - policy debates - government oversight - civic activism Key Concepts authoryst psychology institutional critique Questions to Reflect On - How does power corrupt its own institutions? - Can citizens restore sanity to governance? A Different Perspective Such cynicism may overlook constructive reforms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asylum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asylum/) [Asylum World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asylum-world-1272880/) [Lunatic Asylum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lunatic-asylum-509726/) [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Politics-of-the-united-states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics-of-the-united-states/) [Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington/) [Washington Lunatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington-lunatic-1272879/) ## Related quotes > [It seems as though I were in a lunatic asylum, but I am never sure who is the attendant and who the inmate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryant-conant/it-seems-as-though-i-were-in-a-lunatic-asylum-but-i-am-never-sure-who/) [James Bryant Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryant-conant/) > [America is a lunatic asylum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/america-is-a-lunatic-asylum/) [Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/) > [When Å vejk subsequently described life in the lunatic asylum, he did so in exceptionally eulogistic terms: 'I really don't know why those loonies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaroslav-ha-ek/when-vejk-subsequently-described-life-in-the-lunatic-asylum-he-did-so/) [Jaroslav Hašek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaroslav-ha-ek/) > [A man is called a good fellow for doing things which, if done by a woman, would land her in a lunatic asylum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/a-man-is-called-a-good-fellow-for-doing-things-which-if-done-by-a/) [H. 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I should go to a lunatic asylum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/i-shouldn-t-make-movies-anymore-i-should-go-to-a-lunatic-asylum/) [Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/) > [The whole religious complexion of the modern world is due to the absence from Jerusalem of a lunatic asylum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-whole-religious-complexion-of-the-modern-world-is-due-to-the/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“Washington was no politician as we understand the word," replied Ratcliffe abruptly. "He stood outside of politics. The thing couldn't be done today. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/washington-was-no-politician-as-we-understand-the-word-replied/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [“I was starting to feel that Washington was a city run by two rival gangs that had a great deal in common with each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-noonan/i-was-starting-to-feel-that-washington-was-a-city-run-by-two-rival/) [Peggy Noonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-noonan/) > [“My definition of LUNATIC ASYLUM: A place where lunatics are created.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-fergus/my-definition-of-lunatic-asylum-a-place-where-lunatics-are-created/) [Jim Fergus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-fergus/) > [If I were to say what I really think I would be arrested or shut away in a lunatic asylum. Come on, I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-bola-o/if-i-were-to-say-what-i-really-think-i-would-be-arrested-or-shut-away/) [Roberto Bolano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-bola-o/) ## More Asylum quotes > [Any country that grants asylum to Snowden risks retaliation from the United States, including diplomatic isolation and costly trade sanctions. Several don't seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/any-country-that-grants-asylum-to-snowden-risks-retaliation-from-the/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Sometimes I think they should set up an asylum for people like that... a whole slew of paparazzi defending their positions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-i-think-they-should-set-up-an-asylum-for-people-like-that-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“congress - that great, benevolent asylum for the helpless”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/congress-that-great-benevolent-asylum-for-the-helpless/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I would not invest in a Trump hate wall. We don't need to be protected from immigrants that are coming here seeking asylum and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayanna-pressley/i-would-not-invest-in-a-trump-hate-wall-we-don-t-need-to-be-protected/) [Ayanna Pressley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayanna-pressley/) > [This is called 'the land of the free and the home of the brave'; it is called the 'asylum of the oppressed,' and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wells-brown/this-is-called-the-land-of-the-free-and-the-home-of-the-brave-it-is/) [William Wells Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wells-brown/) > [The lunatics have taken over the asylum and we can do anything we want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-lunatics-have-taken-over-the-asylum-and-we-can-do-anything-we-want/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Individuals whose asylum claims have been accepted have gone on to become professors, soldiers in our military, artists, and more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/individuals-whose-asylum-claims-have-been-accepted-have-gone-on-to/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [I shouldn't make movies anymore. I should go to a lunatic asylum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/i-shouldn-t-make-movies-anymore-i-should-go-to-a-lunatic-asylum/) [Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/) > [South Carolina is too small for a republic and too large for an insane asylum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-petigru/south-carolina-is-too-small-for-a-republic-and-too-large-for-an/) [James L. Petigru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-petigru/) > [I had, toward the last, been shut off from all visitors, and so when the lawyer, Peter A. Hendricks, came and told me that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nellie-bly/i-had-toward-the-last-been-shut-off-from-all-visitors-and-so-when-the/) [Nellie Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nellie-bly/) > [“I was in a mental asylum? 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Such a pretty name for a hellhole.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-estep/asylum-the-word-always-made-me-smile-such-a-pretty-name-for-a-hellhole/) [jennifer estep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-estep/) > [“Insane asylums are deliberate and premeditated receptacles of black magic, and it is not only that doctors encourage magic with their untimely and hybrid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-artaud/insane-asylums-are-deliberate-and-premeditated-receptacles-of-black/) [Antonin Artaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-artaud/) > [Instead of turning loose these bogus asylum applicants onto the American streets never to be seen again, let's put them into mobile homes. Let's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kobach/instead-of-turning-loose-these-bogus-asylum-applicants-onto-the/) [Kris Kobach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kobach/) [Browse all 166 Asylum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asylum/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Washington is the only lunatic asylum in the world run by its own inmates.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W. 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