Should the US practice ostracism on its politicians?

[John Dibble]

You learn a lot of interesting things watching the History channel - this week I learned where we got the word ostracize from. In our modern vernacular it's simply a matter of a mass shunning, but originally the word meant more. Apparently in ancient Greece the Athenian democracy would optionally hold a vote every year for an ostracism of a prominent individual, which was not necessarily limited to a politician, to be picked by the voters. Whoever received the most votes, minimum of 6000 required, would be ostracized - that is to say they were banished from the city for a period of ten years, having ten days to leave. Their property was not confiscated, and would still be there should they return after the ten year period. Being ostracized did not include a criminal charge, and no defense could be mounted by the person ostracized.

More details here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostracism

So the question I ask you today is whether or not we the people should have the option of annually ostracizing one elected or appointed government official from our nation for a period of 10 years. (Obviously the exact mechanism by which a politician would be chosen would have to differ from the Athenian model, given that we have millions of people, so assume something workable would be hashed out)

[Matt Damon™]

Sure.

[Earth]

No. It's pointless, and downright malicious. This is not an option I would want done considering the farce that direct popular voting would be, especially on something as mindless, and vindictive as voting to exile.

It feels like it would bring back the concept of Homo Sacer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_sacer

[Associate Justice PiT]

     A high threshold would make it useless & a low threshold would result in lots of high-profile partisans being exiled. Seems like it couldn't work in as partisan a society as ours.

[Meeker]

Bush would be gone.

[Matt Damon™]

Ostracize Ron Paul

[The Mikado]

The ancient Athenians showed that was a bad idea because they'd ostracize good people who happened to be in a moment of unpopularity, like Aristides the Just, who was already known as "the Just" when they kicked him out of town.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

No.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Ostracize Ron Paul

He actually may get enough votes, and that'd be sad.

[Matt Damon™]

Not sad. It'd be epic win.

[justfollowingtheelections]

The guy in your sig would be ostracized.

[Matt Damon™]

The guy in your sig would be ostracized.

He'd be lucky to make it out without being stoned.