I wanted to let you know about an easy way to support Lt. Ehren Watada's courageous decision to refuse deployment to what he believes is an illegal war in Iraq.
plz sign up to receive updates and action alerts from his support campaign. This makes it easy to contact decision makers on key issues that will affect Lt. Watada.
http://
plz sign up to receive updates and action alerts from his support campaign. This makes it easy to contact decision makers on key issues that will affect Lt. Watada.
http://
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コメント(17)
Lt. Watada has been the center of attention in the Japanese-American community here in Seattle for quite some time.
As much as I'd like to support Lt. Watada for his conscientious decision to refuse to go to Iraq, I have trouble doing that. One big issue for me is that you're supposed to obey your orders when you're in the military. Lt. Watada says that the military laws allow you to disobey unlawful orders. OTOH, that does not mean you're free to disobey what *you* believe to be unlawful orders.
I would love to be proven wrong on this one, though.
As much as I'd like to support Lt. Watada for his conscientious decision to refuse to go to Iraq, I have trouble doing that. One big issue for me is that you're supposed to obey your orders when you're in the military. Lt. Watada says that the military laws allow you to disobey unlawful orders. OTOH, that does not mean you're free to disobey what *you* believe to be unlawful orders.
I would love to be proven wrong on this one, though.
だいはど>
As an officer of the US military, you're sworn to uphold the US Constitution and abide by international laws.
A good example of a scenario where you might disobey unlawful orders is that a superior officer orders you to bomb a hospital in a civilian village that you know is filled with only women. children, and medical staff. You might tell your officer this fact, and he/she still orders you to bomb it. You would then be well within your rights to refuse to obey that order, since attacking medical facilities and non-combatants is a violation of the Geneva Convention.
Another side note: International law, especially precendents set during the Nuremberg Trials, have established that any officer who claims "I was just following orders" is still liable for war crimes. Therefore, it is the duty of any commissioned officer to stop a war crime from happening.
BTW, I fully support Lt. Watada's stand. I'm a bit disappointed that the Asian American community hasn't done more to support him... maybe too many of us are afraid of being labelled "disloyal".
As an officer of the US military, you're sworn to uphold the US Constitution and abide by international laws.
A good example of a scenario where you might disobey unlawful orders is that a superior officer orders you to bomb a hospital in a civilian village that you know is filled with only women. children, and medical staff. You might tell your officer this fact, and he/she still orders you to bomb it. You would then be well within your rights to refuse to obey that order, since attacking medical facilities and non-combatants is a violation of the Geneva Convention.
Another side note: International law, especially precendents set during the Nuremberg Trials, have established that any officer who claims "I was just following orders" is still liable for war crimes. Therefore, it is the duty of any commissioned officer to stop a war crime from happening.
BTW, I fully support Lt. Watada's stand. I'm a bit disappointed that the Asian American community hasn't done more to support him... maybe too many of us are afraid of being labelled "disloyal".
>> any officer who claims "I was just following
>> orders" is still liable for war crimes.
That sucks! I mean, you're expected to obey orders, and once the orders have been proven unlawful, then you're expected to have stood against them. Hope that doesn't let those who gave you the orders off the hook easily.
IMO, the sticking point in Lt. Watada's case is who and how to determine the Iraqi war is against the internaional laws and/or U.S. Constitution. Bush will adamantly defend his position. Even with the Democrat-controlled House and Senate, wouldn't it be hard to press real charges against him?
>> orders" is still liable for war crimes.
That sucks! I mean, you're expected to obey orders, and once the orders have been proven unlawful, then you're expected to have stood against them. Hope that doesn't let those who gave you the orders off the hook easily.
IMO, the sticking point in Lt. Watada's case is who and how to determine the Iraqi war is against the internaional laws and/or U.S. Constitution. Bush will adamantly defend his position. Even with the Democrat-controlled House and Senate, wouldn't it be hard to press real charges against him?
"Maybe too many of us are afraid of being labelled "disloyal"
I think that is the key issue with most people when we are asked about the war in Iraq. Lt. Watada is not that old, so he knew what he was getting into when he joined the military.
If everyone in the military did what he is doing wouldn`t that be an interesting situation? Also the last I heard Officers can actually quit their jobs, unlike regular enlisted personnel. Anyway if he feels like this he would not be effective in Iraq and probably would endanger his troops under him. It`s asking a lot of our military men and women to go over there knowing that a percentage of them will surely be killed for a cause almost no one supports. This is a very hard call to make but Watada made it loud and clear.
I think that is the key issue with most people when we are asked about the war in Iraq. Lt. Watada is not that old, so he knew what he was getting into when he joined the military.
If everyone in the military did what he is doing wouldn`t that be an interesting situation? Also the last I heard Officers can actually quit their jobs, unlike regular enlisted personnel. Anyway if he feels like this he would not be effective in Iraq and probably would endanger his troops under him. It`s asking a lot of our military men and women to go over there knowing that a percentage of them will surely be killed for a cause almost no one supports. This is a very hard call to make but Watada made it loud and clear.
5> That sucks! I mean, you're expected to obey orders, and once the orders have been proven unlawful, then you're expected to have stood against them. Hope that doesn't let those who gave you the orders off the hook easily.
Yeah, that's a big Catch-22 in the military. As an officer, it's you're duty to obey your orders, but what happens if you're suddenly faced with an unreasonable / bad order? Especially an order that has potential for being a war crime?
Supposedly, a commissioned officers are supposed to possess enough education and moral fiber to resist, but when you're a member of an organization where the norm is to unquestionably do what you're told from the top down... it's rough.
Not to mention there are other factors - soldiers face disgrace, losing their jobs, and not being able to support their families if they disobey orders. Speaking out against the war is getting to be more acceptable, but it still can get a member of the military in big trouble.
I have several friends who are in the military who applaud Watada's decision and stance, but feel like they can't speak out in support of him because of those factors I mentioned. It's hard to fault them for being silent when they're trying to put food on the table for their families.
Yeah, that's a big Catch-22 in the military. As an officer, it's you're duty to obey your orders, but what happens if you're suddenly faced with an unreasonable / bad order? Especially an order that has potential for being a war crime?
Supposedly, a commissioned officers are supposed to possess enough education and moral fiber to resist, but when you're a member of an organization where the norm is to unquestionably do what you're told from the top down... it's rough.
Not to mention there are other factors - soldiers face disgrace, losing their jobs, and not being able to support their families if they disobey orders. Speaking out against the war is getting to be more acceptable, but it still can get a member of the military in big trouble.
I have several friends who are in the military who applaud Watada's decision and stance, but feel like they can't speak out in support of him because of those factors I mentioned. It's hard to fault them for being silent when they're trying to put food on the table for their families.
Again, right on.
Catch-22 is a great thing to reference because that book brings up the ultimate point. Calling some acts a war crime is kind of odd, since the very act of war is itself a crime.
Lt. Watada has done the right thing, a war of aggression is something all soldiers should refuse. Like Yoserian says in the book, the enemy footsoldier isn't my enemy at all, he's just like me, another poor bastard who got dragged away from his home to fight at die for something that has no affect on his life. He's not trying to kill me, he's just trying not to get killed himself. The people who're trying to get me killed are the generals and leaders on either side of the lines, they're my enemy, and really they're the ones I'd shoot.
Catch-22 is a great thing to reference because that book brings up the ultimate point. Calling some acts a war crime is kind of odd, since the very act of war is itself a crime.
Lt. Watada has done the right thing, a war of aggression is something all soldiers should refuse. Like Yoserian says in the book, the enemy footsoldier isn't my enemy at all, he's just like me, another poor bastard who got dragged away from his home to fight at die for something that has no affect on his life. He's not trying to kill me, he's just trying not to get killed himself. The people who're trying to get me killed are the generals and leaders on either side of the lines, they're my enemy, and really they're the ones I'd shoot.
As a nikkei, the pressure to comply with military orders as a soldier must be particularly high. Just as Pr0digalS0n mentions, being labelled disloyal might be one of the ultimate ostracisms for any second or third generation Japanese-American soldier, for pretty clear reasons.
Catch 22's extend everywhere. Everyone concurs on a general level that war is an abomination of human behaviour, yet we also tend to generally agree that military strength is a necessary evil. Without actual wars to deploy to, the military loses valuable experience and weakens. IMO that's why the American government gets involved in a war at least every 10 or 15 years. On the job training and experience...
It's hard to say exactly how insignificant one should think of oneself as a voluntary member of the military... I'm happy for Lt. Watada on the court's mistrial decision, but at the same time it's difficult to wholeheartedly applaud the result, even if it was in defiance of a certain nincompoop of a leader..
Catch 22's extend everywhere. Everyone concurs on a general level that war is an abomination of human behaviour, yet we also tend to generally agree that military strength is a necessary evil. Without actual wars to deploy to, the military loses valuable experience and weakens. IMO that's why the American government gets involved in a war at least every 10 or 15 years. On the job training and experience...
It's hard to say exactly how insignificant one should think of oneself as a voluntary member of the military... I'm happy for Lt. Watada on the court's mistrial decision, but at the same time it's difficult to wholeheartedly applaud the result, even if it was in defiance of a certain nincompoop of a leader..
>>Guchi
There was a movie a few years ago called "Snow Falling on the Cedars". It was as boring as batshit but right at the very end they had an interesting postscript.
Apparently during WWII when Japanese-Americans were interned, they formed a Japanese-American unit in the U.S. army.
They fought in Europe and had amongst the highest casualties of any unit in the US Army. I think the implication was that they felt they had to prove their loyalty.
There was a movie a few years ago called "Snow Falling on the Cedars". It was as boring as batshit but right at the very end they had an interesting postscript.
Apparently during WWII when Japanese-Americans were interned, they formed a Japanese-American unit in the U.S. army.
They fought in Europe and had amongst the highest casualties of any unit in the US Army. I think the implication was that they felt they had to prove their loyalty.
I think you're speaking of the 100th battalion of the 442nd regimental combat team.
“At full strength the 442nd only numbered 4,500 men, but this unit earned over 3,900 individual decorations.”
-From the book "Americans:The Story of the 442nd Combat Team"
http://www.katonk.com/442nd/442/page1.html
I read the book "Snow Falling On Cedars" and found it pretty absorbing. The movie could only do so much in terms of being comprehensive, but it did a fairly good job of telling the core of the story. I wish there were more movies to watch with Yuki Kudoh in it :)
I've been told by a couple older nikkeis who remember the war that the farmstead confiscations and the lifestyle of a typical nikkei farmer was quite accurately portrayed in the book.
I've heard similar things about the high casualty rate in the 442nd, but I don't know the details of comparison. I'd assume that they're going based on the number killed out of the total enlisted, but I've also heard that sometimes casualty rate is based on the total killed out of the total number in the regiment. The regiment gets replenished with new troops in a rotation as their numbers drop, so the accuracy of "casualty rate" may sometimes be called into question.
“At full strength the 442nd only numbered 4,500 men, but this unit earned over 3,900 individual decorations.”
-From the book "Americans:The Story of the 442nd Combat Team"
http://www.katonk.com/442nd/442/page1.html
I read the book "Snow Falling On Cedars" and found it pretty absorbing. The movie could only do so much in terms of being comprehensive, but it did a fairly good job of telling the core of the story. I wish there were more movies to watch with Yuki Kudoh in it :)
I've been told by a couple older nikkeis who remember the war that the farmstead confiscations and the lifestyle of a typical nikkei farmer was quite accurately portrayed in the book.
I've heard similar things about the high casualty rate in the 442nd, but I don't know the details of comparison. I'd assume that they're going based on the number killed out of the total enlisted, but I've also heard that sometimes casualty rate is based on the total killed out of the total number in the regiment. The regiment gets replenished with new troops in a rotation as their numbers drop, so the accuracy of "casualty rate" may sometimes be called into question.
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