Dumbass of the Week: Ehren Watada
Today I analyze very briefly the dumbass of the week. That title belongs to Ehren Watada today, the 28 year old lieutenant of the American armed forces who decided shortly after joining the Army that instead of fulfilling his contract and duty that he swore to uphold… he would rather make a mockery out of our deployed troops by claiming the war he fights is “illegal” and therefore he doesn’t have to fight it.
While I do have sympathy for those who joined our Reserves never believing they would have to fight, my sympathy does not extend to those like Watada… trained soldiers who not only joined the Army outright… but joined it in the year 2003.
After coming home briefly, it appears Mr Watada stumbled upon websites that seemed to denounce the war, calling it “illegal.” He claims that he was surprised by this and immediately began to believe it. According to Watada, due to this illegality of the war in Iraq, he no longer wishes to serve his country within the borders of that nation. Watada now uses this as a framing for his legal argument… an argument which, according to a military judge just yesterday, won’t be heard in court.
Really? A retarded argument won’t be heard in a military court? What an outrage.
Surprisingly enough in this case, the military offered Watada a chance to take up a non-combat position in Iraq, an action which deserves most credit toward why Watada is an idiot. Watada, who apparently believes even walking on Iraqi soil or breathing Iraqi air is illegal, chose to decline this generous offer and instead wanted to take his case to trial, where the world at large could read about it and have some amazing awareness that previously they did not have. Unfortunately for Watada, most Americans already had an opinion on Iraq.
As a result, at this point at least, it seems that Watada could very well be on his way to serving a maximum of six years in a military prison along with a discharge.
So today I address Mr Watada, my honorary inductee as Dumbass of the Week.
Mr Watada, you are a moron. Being former JROTC during the era before 9/11, I know many former classmates who have served time in Iraq. People who I spent every day of my high school social life with. These were men and women who joined BEFORE conflict reared its ugly head into the international scene. But not one of them ever backed down from their call of duty.
Many of them perhaps didn’t agree with the politics. In fact, I know quite a few of them did not. They came from different creeds and different beliefs. But the catch of this point is that you, as a volunteer soldier, now turn your back on everything you have sworn to uphold. While they, men and women who signed on to this life before the conflict was even a remote idea, served their oaths loyally.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t agree with the war, Mr. Watada. You volunteered for it. In fact, you volunteered for it apparently before you bothered to read about it. How then are we, being educated people, supposed to believe that suddenly, out of the blue, you now have this sudden desire to read up on something that could get you killed? This desire did not exist before now. Instead, you now freely admit that you went full speed ahead without knowing any of the facts nor apparently caring about them.
That makes you not only un-American, Sir… it makes you a dumbass. I’m sorry that you don’t agree with the war now that you’ve bothered to read about it. But perhaps you should have studied what you were getting yourself into a little better, learning all sides and viewpoints along with forming a viewpoint for yourself, before you volunteered to get suited up and armed.
I realize, of course, that you joined the Army in 2003… apparently a time period in which the internet did not exist. But not only were people protesting the courses of action the Bush Administration was taking in regards to international policy in that year, they were doing it some time before that, as well. Your sudden awareness that the world exists beyond your narrow view of yourself is troubling.
But let’s give your case a chance. Let’s look at your true argument in this matter.
Your claim is that the government “lied” to you. Really? The government lied to you? Well, color me impressed, Champ. I am truly shocked. Since that has never happened before in the history of time, I suppose you deserve some leeway.
Therefore, I agree with you. You shouldn’t go to Iraq. You should go to prison. And after you serve those years, perhaps you wouldn’t mind looking me up. I have a car I want to sell you. And you can take my word for it, Champ… it runs like a gem.
Ehren Watada: Dumbass of the Week
Reader comments (3, FROM 2007)
If you were growing weed in your home, and a passing off duty cop got some sneaking suspision based soley on gut instinct, then forcefully broke down your door without a warrant and arrested you for illegal possession of marijuana, I think you'd be fighting the court based on violation of principles rather than the fact that you were in fact growing illegal stuff. It's kinda like that. Of course, I'm sure you'd plea guilty if they offered you prison time and a guaranteed position as the prison movie projector operator. So Watada still thought a noncombat role in Iraq contradicted his main principle. Does that make him stupid? I think that makes him consistent.
You are wrong in that 1LT Watada is not against leaving home soil to fight a valid enemy. He volunteered to fight in Afghanistan because Afghanistan was a legal action in terms of some sort of world governing body, such as the UN. Iraq was not sactioned by the UN and in fact was illegal by UN terms as well as US laws (I personally refuse to acknowledge the UN as having any authority over me as a US citizen, but unfortunately, it is a legitimate entity in the global society.) The army denied his request. Is it the army's privilege? Of course. But the fact is, the army has a history of allowing assignment requests in both peace and war. It does it often.
Quite frankly, after spending the entire first year of the war in Kuwait and then Iraq, I saw firsthand how Bush and Rummie told lie after lie in the media (we did have access to CNN & Fox in our camps) while I was looking around at what was actually going on and thinking to myself, how the hell do they get away with lying so blatantly?
The entire invasion, from pre-deployment to post war was a complete mess. Yes, we kicked the living hell out of the Republican Guard Divisions, but we couldn't control the guerilla fighters, just like in Vietnam. And like Vietnam, we are kicking but in terms of a pure miliitary stance, but the political leadership has been incredibly baffoon-like.
The little guy fighting on the street is going to say good things. He is fighting for his buddies and for his country. But ask yourself what Bush is fighting for? Do you think he is fighting to live to the next day? Do you think he is fighting for God and Country? Oh hell no. If anyone even slightly thinks that, then they need to the next dumbass of the week. In this light, who is unpatriotic? A guy who actually is willing to be on the ground receiving bullets in Afghanistan or George who talks big and carries a wet noodle while secretly making publicity trips with an entourage of guard to protect him once in every blue moon in Iraq? Many kings in the past actually fought with their men. What's holding our patriotic war-god president back from putting his money where his big mouth is? As a vet, I'v no respect for Bush the fraud.
This is why I am not so quick to hang 1LT Watada. He is doing what many of the officers think, but are too afraid to say in public. While I did not go as far as Watada, I have been chewed out for speaking my mind over dumb hypocracies in the army. I got out because I couldn't stand being forced to give some of the most idiotic orders on a daily basis. To question idiots and their idiot orders is to be unpatriotic, disloyal, not a team player, selfish, and apparently, a dumbass. In the military, the truth is, when you hear someone accuse another of not being a team player, the guy talking is the one who is often guilty of the crime. Why? Because when you are doing bad things, you don't want someone who is doing right to be around you. It's not good enough to remove them, but you also need to character assasin and legitimize why they are bad by twisting around exisiting laws. Why do you think Watada is being charged with "unbecoming..."? Because it is the military's tool to get rid of unwanteds and it can't be challenged due to its completely subjective nature - and of course the subjective experts are the high ranking officers sitting in as the jury who will hang you. Nice, isn't it?
Give Watada a break. You don't have to agree with him, but he's no coward, and when he makes a ton of money selling his story, he won't be looking so dumb.
Of course, if he's in this to make money off book sales like you implied, then great. You're right about the fact that if he does that, he won't look like a moron. Instead, he will look like an asshole. A rich asshole, maybe. But an asshole, none-the-less. Skipping out on his duty to become a celebrity? What a great role model to live by.
But to be serious, all I ask in this matter is that he pays the price for what he signed up for. Either he does his job, or he serves his time. That's not asking anything other than what he agreed to. Even you have to admit that if he's a man of cander or honor, he'll step up to the charge, be a man, serve his time, and move on. That's all I expect.
If he doesn't want to go to Iraq, then wonderful. He doesn't have to. But he does have to serve his time in prison if that's the way he wants to go.
After that, if he wants to write a book to appeal to his fans, then wonderful. Could still care less.
However, thank you for taking the time to read this article and replying to it. I appreciate your thoughts on the matter, even if we disagree.
Quite frankly, to me, a war is the failure to abide by agreed rules/laws. So, to even say that there is a legal and illegal way to fight a war is pure stupidity. I think the Geneva Convention is a well meaning piece of garbage that should be completely ignored when entering into a war.
The reason I side with Watada is because this is an opportunity to point out what an irresponsible administration we currently have. It lies through its teeth on absolutely everything. Bush had the balls to point out Clintion's lack of integrity, but the fact is, he lacks integrity as much or more than Slick Willy. Bush is incompetent no matter how you look at it.
As far as fame and money, I only point out what has become a trend (think Jessica the POW). I highly doubt Watada had fame or money running through his mind when he decided to stick to his guns. I highly doubt Jessica had wished for the pain and suffering she went through in order to get a book deal. To use this as an argument for why Watada is a dumbass for what he has done is nothing short of dead wrong. I was merely pointing out what will inevitibly happen.
Actually, I do agree with you. If Watada goes to jail, then yes, it is legal in every way. He'll do his time, but he'll still make his point, whether we agree or disagree. Watada made it clear, as least through the media, that he understood he would likely end up in jail and that he was willing to take that chance because in his mind, he was standing up for a principle. It's no different than David Duke defying a law and going to jail in order to make a statement. It's no different than Martin Luther King, Jr. encouraging and participating in illegal actions in order to make a social statement and make changes. I do believe this is why Watada did what he did. It wasn't to run away from his legal obliation, he was willing to face it (via jail time rather than serving in Iraq). You don't see him escaping to Canada or Mexico like the Vietnam draft dodgers, do you? Like I said, you don't have to agree with what he is doing, but to call him a dumbass is going a bit too far in my opinion.
What you ask for, Watada IS doing. He has accepted the consequences for his actions and not run from them.
Back to Bush. I'd have no problems returning to Iraq and killing those worthless people if Bush would come right out and say we invaded Iraq mainly because of its oil resources and it is important to our economy. All I ask is for honesty. I refuse to serve again and fight for a backstabbing liar like Bush Jr. I'm perfectly content rooting for Watada if it means Bush and Rumsfeld are finally held accountable for their stupid poor leadership.