EXILE: Is the Revival of an old punishment a Solution to Home-Grown Terrorists?

There is a growing problem the west must face, and soon.
Civilized western countries are sadly discovering“home-grown” terrorists within their borders, radicalized  individuals holding  passports and legal citizenship by being born or naturalized in Canada, the United States, France, Germany or England.
 Some individuals have already been found guilty of  planning terrorist attacks on their respective countries  in spite of the fact they should clearly pledge allegiance  instead of training and planning treasonous, death-dealing  terrorist attacks upon the innocent within their borders.

The Asian Times Online, based in Hong Kong,  citing Taliban sources, has recently reported that as many as a dozen Canadians were being trained “for jihad” in Pakistan by al Quaida.   These recalcitrant individuals  were reportedly being specially trained for attacks within large cities in Canada. (1)
“The Canadian RCMP and their security and intelligence partners” are reportedly investigating the information. The report adds that other westerners from the U.S, Britain, and Germany area also being trained for jihad in North Waziristan, Pakistan, which borders on Afghanistan.  The Canadians reportedly joined Jihad al-Islami, an Egyptian terrorist organization.

Canada is not alone with this problem.  As many as 30 or 40 “hardcore terrorists” from Germany are known to be in the same area of Pakistan.  “A spokeswoman for Germany's Federal Criminal Police office said in October there was "concrete evidence" that 70 German citizens had undergone terror training in Pakistan’s lawless border region and that about a third of the militants had returned to Germany.”(1)

Returned to Germany?  The question must be posed, “Why were they allowed to return to Germany?”    Will the radicalized, terrorist-minded Canadians now also  be allowed to innocently “return” to Canada to carry out their terrorist attacks any time they wish ?
Let us give our heads a shake.  The western world needs to remove the blinders it is now wearing. The concept of treason comes to mind.

Treason  has been known to be punishable by death in times past. The death sentence was usually carried out by “hanging by the neck until dead”. It sounds kind of barbaric, but do fanatic  suicide bombers that kill or maim thousands of people annually care if their own terrorist activities are “barbaric”?  No.
 Regardless, in civilized countries, the concept of  “an eye for an eye” and a death sentence inflicted is considered to be  repulsive to the majority of peace-loving people.  That was not always so. .
I remain unconvinced that modern society retains the stomach for applying the death sentence even to radicalized  individuals who, only a few years ago, might have been quickly hung for treason or murder,  and a few centuries prior to that, may have been disemboweled,  drawn and quartered with their remains “spread to the corners of the kingdom”,  their heads left to dry on tall pike-poles as a deterrent to any new  would-be perpetrators. Some found “less guilty” may have been  chained in dungeons until they became repentant skeletons.
So be it. Times have changed.  What can be done now?

 I fail to see how any civilized society should be required to feed and care for  such evil individuals,  maintained in a nice federal penitentiary, a dark dungeon or otherwise, with  a nice  warm bed, television,  good books,  education, rehabilitation,  and entertainment provided to them even for a day, much less for a lifetime of luxury and enough time to foment other evil, destructive plans.
Modern times demand different solutions.
 Back in the “good old days” as punishment for any number of crimes, such recalcitrant, evil or misguided individuals might also have been exiled,   banned permanently from a village or city, or in the extreme, shipped off to live elsewhere offshore  quite uncomfortably,   never to be allowed to return to their  homes  under any circumstance.  The basic concept was to ship convicted individuals to live where they can ultimately  harm no one but themselves. Great Britain shipped thousands of convicts and criminals to Australia.

Is it time for civilized nations to begin using the same  legal process once more?  Let us evaluate whether complete removal of these individuals from our  society and country will act as a deterrent.  Most Canadians  believe that living in Canada is a privilege, not a God-given right and it involves responsibilities, demands loyalty rather than deception, and most certainly should not permit  treason, terrorist activities, and murderous acts.
“ Sir, do you wish to be a fanatic?  You have been trained for terrorist Jihadist attacks upon Canadians?  You are hereby deemed to have willfully abused and discarded your rights and privileges as a Canadian.  As of today, you  are no longer a Canadian citizen..... Hereafter, within a period of 24 hours,  you shall be shipped off to live elsewhere, in a third-world hole of your choice, and you shall remain there for the rest of your natural life. Do not try to return to Canada under the penalty of death. ...... “ Bye-bye”....   “Next case!”  

Perhaps we really  should revive the concept of permanent exile.    It just might be worth a try.
(1)  http://ca.news.yahoo.com/rcmp-probe-report-saying-canadians-training-al-qaida-20110114-194834-598.html

North America...Rent this Idea !

Audi A2                                         photo by Audi

 
At Incoming BYTES, we believe  it appropriate  to offer cutting criticism and poke sharply at questionable events, issues and projects, especially  where justifiable criticism is  earned.
 It is equally an excellent idea to point out the clever, intelligent and the good.  Well,  good things very worthy of note  are happening in Paris, the City of Lights.
Paris will be the first city in the world to offer a major car-sharing program.  Yes, you read it right, a car-sharing program. Paris has had a successful bicycle-sharing program for three years and has cleverly decided to pioneer a car-sharing program featuring compact  electric cars. 
How smart is that?  Very. 
Initially, some 3,000  4-seat electric cars will be located  at 1200 docking locations throughout the city of Paris.   Pick it up here, and leave it there.   Reserve the car in advance, drive all over, and  return it to any station handy.    The driver needs the mandatory driver’s  license and an annual subscription and security deposit. 
 
How much more clever could that concept be?   The program will  be operational by the end of 2011.   The City of Paris is to be congratulated on their foresight and progressive plan.
 Way to go, Paris ! 
 
 Removing 3,000  gasoline-driven vehicles from the streets  is a sound environmental initiative. 
Electric vehicles are clean, quiet, and efficient. Battery technology can only get better. The newest battery technology by a German company, DBM Energy, allows an electric vehicle to be charged fully in 6 minutes or less and driven 375 miles at 55mph.  That should be enough range for almost everyone.   The ‘rent and drop at any location'  is inherently clever.
This is better than just a “good”  idea.   It is an idea whose time has arrived.
  Now all we need are  a few clever Canadian and  Americans entrepreneurs  to “discover” the concept and put it into action.    Hopefully, action that will be coming to a city near you  –and the sooner the better.