The Ancient Greeks used to use ostricons to vote on who was the most dangerous person to Athenian democracy. The unfortunate winner of the vote was banished from public life for a couple of years.
Consider for a moment that the US instituted a law, which allowed ostracizing. A national primary would nominate nine people to be placed on a ballot, and then the people would select three by popular vote alone. Those three would then spend the next four years on a small island with no contact to the outside world.
So if we could vote to ostracize someone today whom would you vote for? Consider the following guidelines:
Who can be Ostracized?
The person you vote for must be eligible of being elected at least to the current office they presently hold (e.g. George Bush is immune because he cannot be reelected President, Bill Frist is not immune nor is Tom Daschle or Dick Cheney).
Persons not currently holding an office are not immune to being ostracized (e.g. Larry Flint, Donald Trump, Jimmy Carter ect).
The person must be a citizen of the United States over the age of 21.
A person cannot be ostracized more than two consecutive times in a row.
What is the Penalty?
The person(s) ostracized will be removed from public life to a small island which is stocked with all necessary provisions and living quarters for a 4 year period.
They are not permitted any outside contact with the world until permitted to leave the island.
The person(s) ostracized will be have their public and private assets put in trust until they have returned.
Medical staff will be available in emergencies and provide annual physicals.
I'd put Ann Coulter up for it. Much as I detest Michael Moore, his particular brand of extremism doesn't involve killing those who disagree, which is anathema to a republic.
SirNitram wrote:Well, he's not stepping down until January, so is it too late to toss in Ashcroft as a small token of vengeance?
Ashcroft is fair game under the rules. But thats only one Nitram, surely you can think of two others?
Not really, to be honest. I would like to banish Bush to keep him from fucking things up, but I cannot think up two officials which deserve such total isolation. Of course, this is partly because I would want to target the sources. In which case I would probably grab Hovind and even then I'm at a loss for a third.
Manic Progressive: A liberal who violently swings from anger at politicos to despondency over them.
Out Of Context theatre: Ron Paul has repeatedly said he's not a racist. - Destructinator XIII on why Ron Paul isn't racist.
Augustus wrote:The three people choosen will have to spend the next 4 years with only themselves as company
Much as it's tempting to stick Moore and Coulter on the same island for a few years, he still doesn't qualify as a threat to democracy. So... Coulter, Fred Phelps, and... Hmmmmmmm... Dang, this is hard.
SirNitram wrote:
Not really, to be honest. I would like to banish Bush to keep him from fucking things up, but I cannot think up two officials which deserve such total isolation. Of course, this is partly because I would want to target the sources. In which case I would probably grab Hovind and even then I'm at a loss for a third.
SirNitram wrote:
Not really, to be honest. I would like to banish Bush to keep him from fucking things up, but I cannot think up two officials which deserve such total isolation. Of course, this is partly because I would want to target the sources. In which case I would probably grab Hovind and even then I'm at a loss for a third.
I don't see any of them as really being worth it. I chose Ashcroft because he's a living, breathing cariacture and danger. I chose Hovind because he perpetuates insanity and spreads it to those who don't know better(Sort of like a vampire turning others into less suckheads). I can't come up with anyone off the top of my head who is either a source of more madness for others and quite wiling to spread it, or someone who is so wildly stereotypical that, had I not been mature when he was in power, I would not have beleived in save as a bogey-man.
Manic Progressive: A liberal who violently swings from anger at politicos to despondency over them.
Out Of Context theatre: Ron Paul has repeatedly said he's not a racist. - Destructinator XIII on why Ron Paul isn't racist.
Ralph Reed: Pat Robertson might be the obnoxious face of the Christian Right, but Reed is their political operator. Rove wanted 4 million Evangelicals. Guess who got them for him?
Jim DeMint: Freshly elected Senator from South Carolina who has publically stated gays shouldn't be allowed to teach. Virtually shouldn't, in fact, be allowed to participate in public life. If they start going hungry on the island, I hope they eat him first.
Rush Limbaugh: Hannity is annoying and Coultier is batshit crazy, but in real life they don't have nearly as much influence as this fat pill-popping windbag who can barely be understood since he's had W's cock in his mouth the last four years. I hope he eats Jim DeMint.
Any city gets what it admires, will pay for, and, ultimately, deserves…We want and deserve tin-can architecture in a tinhorn culture. And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed.--Ada Louise Huxtable, "Farewell to Penn Station", New York Times editorial, 30 October 1963 X-Ray Blues
Gotta second Red on Ralph Reed. The man is the Prince of Darkness.
The next prisoner into our own little version of the Village would be Rick Santorum, since he's such an obnoxious little asshole it'd be hard not to pass him up. I'd probably poke him in the eyes as he left on the boat, too (Hey Rick! *DOINK!*).
The third person to take a flying leap onto some desolate Pacific pesthole would be...hmm...hard to tell. Maybe deMint. Maybe Bob "Douchebag of Liberty" Novak, just for being a cock. Possibly Karl Rove or Dick Cheney. Hard to say, just so many choices.
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"The Wire" is the best show in the history of television. Watch it today.
Augustus wrote:The three people choosen will have to spend the next 4 years with only themselves as company
Much as it's tempting to stick Moore and Coulter on the same island for a few years, he still doesn't qualify as a threat to democracy. So... Coulter, Fred Phelps, and... Hmmmmmmm... Dang, this is hard.
Actually, I think the Moore and Coulter are both threats - both are urging people to head to the fringes. Whether you are a left wing or right wing nut, the damage to democracy is just as dangerous. Coulter is more dangerous now since her views resonant with more people, but things change - so stick both on the island and either they'll moderate each other, or kill each other - either is acceptable.
John Asscroft, Fred Phelps. . . .and possibly Ann Coulter. Jack Chick if he were a viable choice would replace coulter, simply on the basis i find him more annoying.
"It's you Americans. There's something about nipples you hate. If this were Germany, we'd be romping around naked on the stage here."
Moore would get my vote, but Coulter and Sean Penn are close runner ups
For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see,
Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be;
Saw the heavens fill with commerce, argosies of magic sails,
Pilots of the purple twilight dropping down with costly bales;
Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rain'd a ghastly dew
From the nations' airy navies grappling in the central blue;
{} Thrawn wins. Any questions? {} Great Dolphin Conspiracy {} Proud member of the defunct SEGNOR {} Enjoy the rythmic hip thrusts {} In my past life I was either Vlad the Impaler or Katsushika Hokusai {}
Jeremy wrote:You never know they could create a satan spawn, they do say opposites attract.
Okay, now picture what you are suggesting. Moore and Coulter making sweet sweet love.
For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see,
Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be;
Saw the heavens fill with commerce, argosies of magic sails,
Pilots of the purple twilight dropping down with costly bales;
Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rain'd a ghastly dew
From the nations' airy navies grappling in the central blue;
As for Moore, he does more damage to his own cause by the shitty documentaries he pumps out. Frothing at the mouth and horrible excuses for journalism screws the image of liberal moderates.
Chronological Incontinence: Time warps around the poster. The thread topic winks out of existence and reappears in 1d10 posts.
Out of Context Theatre, this week starring Darth Nostril.
-'If you really want to fuck with these idiots tell them that there is a vaccine for chemtrails.'
White Haven wrote:Earth!
Wind!
Water!
Fire!
Heart!
Coulter!
Moore!
Ashcroft!
By your powers combined, I am...Captain Lucifer!
As for Moore, he does more damage to his own cause by the shitty documentaries he pumps out. Frothing at the mouth and horrible excuses for journalism screws the image of liberal moderates.
You know you are probably correct. Does anyone else think more hurt Kerry more than helped him in this election?
For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see,
Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be;
Saw the heavens fill with commerce, argosies of magic sails,
Pilots of the purple twilight dropping down with costly bales;
Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rain'd a ghastly dew
From the nations' airy navies grappling in the central blue;
Ralph Reed: Pat Robertson might be the obnoxious face of the Christian Right, but Reed is their political operator. Rove wanted 4 million Evangelicals. Guess who got them for him?
No one, apparently; there was no large, disproportionate surge in the evangelical vote this year. There were more than usual, but it was in line with the increased overall turnout. The additional 4 million strong evangelical vote Rove was after turns out to have a myth.
BoTM / JL / MM / HAB / VRWC / Horseman
I'm studying for the CPA exam. Have a nice summer, and if you're down just sit back and realize that Joe is off somewhere, doing much worse than you are.
Cynthia McKinney, both for my own personal sanity and because sub-Saharan Africa should not be represented in the Congress
Ralph Reed, for reasons already enumerated, and
Michael Moore, both out of personal dislike and because I think he's only going to make things worse for the Democratic party.
BoTM / JL / MM / HAB / VRWC / Horseman
I'm studying for the CPA exam. Have a nice summer, and if you're down just sit back and realize that Joe is off somewhere, doing much worse than you are.
Ralph Reed: Pat Robertson might be the obnoxious face of the Christian Right, but Reed is their political operator. Rove wanted 4 million Evangelicals. Guess who got them for him?
No one, apparently; there was no large, disproportionate surge in the evangelical vote this year. There were more than usual, but it was in line with the increased overall turnout. The additional 4 million strong evangelical vote Rove was after turns out to have a myth.
Its nice to cite sources. And the fact that the most important issue for Bushies was moral issues seems to imply the heavy hand of the Christian Right - even Faux News agrees that Bush's victory was due to increasing the size/turnout of his fundie ignorant base.
"You know what the problem with Hollywood is. They make shit. Unbelievable. Unremarkable. Shit." - Gabriel Shear, Swordfish
"This statement, in its utterly clueless hubristic stupidity, cannot be improved upon. I merely quote it in admiration of its perfection." - Garibaldi in reply to an incredibly stupid post.
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