Another story of exile worth reading is that of Rousseau's, as detailed by Sebald in "A Place in the Country." It's interesting to think about what modern weste

Another story of exile worth reading is that of Rousseau's, as detailed by Sebald in "A Place in the Country." It's interesting to think about what modern western democracy would be like if Exile were still a valid political action. In some sense, not being able to post your views on Twitter/Facebook/MainstreamSite is the closest equivalent, and yet of course it's not the same thing. Are Snowden and Assange the only modern exiles from Western countries? Rousseau was thrown out for challenging the legitimacy of the church; Dante was thrown out for opposing the Pope; those who can exile, and those who can be exiled, reveal a lot about who is in Power and that by which they cannot abide.