Did Jon deserve it?

[The Swaggering Bravo]

Ok, I'll drop my two cents:

First of all for the discussion about Stannis being dead by the end of 5th book here follows a HUGE spoiler: http://georgerrmarti.../if-sample.html . If Stannis will eventually die in the 6th book, I guess none of us know, and chapter temporality with GRRM is not a sure thing.

As for if Jon deserved it...

He certainly did not deserved BUT he should have seen it coming.

The problem, from my point of view, is that he is a much better leader than his people was prepared for (any similarity with real life is mere coincidence). Even though he is a boy of 16 he can weight risks/benefits and social necessities better than any other man of the NW (possibly learned from Ned). Were his risks too much? Maybe they were, but he is in a 100% loose situation with 1000 men, so he must change that. The odds from armies from the South or Winterfell coming to reinforce the wall? Close to zero. Options? Become AA with a light-saber in hand and slay all by himself the Other's horde - PLEASE... Loan money to buy food/sellswords (and friendship/foreign relations) with Braavos - done, but not enough. Enlist the wildlings - not so simple. One cannot force them to fight, they must be conquered and the conquest in this case must be thorough their heart and honor system. That is what Jon realized IMO, and that is why he went for Hardhome, to win the Wildlings for his side and turn the 1000 well fed men + one wall VS possibly 40000 wights (remember that in Westeros the winter does not last 3 months... so ANY fallen Wildling WILL come back as wight in time for winter) into hopefully 20000 famished men + one wall VS 20000 wights.

And here comes GRRM twist (and that is why we love him so much)... After taking the correct decision after the correct decision he finally ERRS. As SHOULD be expected from any human being (especially a 16 year old bastard who had one half-sister he loved most). He makes a decision that is clearly placing private priorities (for love sake, some would argue) in front of state priorities (something we've never seen before right?). And even though his mistake has enough ground to be legally debatable according to the old vows/laws, in the NW current code of conduct/unwritten laws (and in Jon's own code, up until now) it is certainly frowned upon.

So what does the plebe do, supported by political enemies? What does the NW common man, who can't see why to take personal risks/taxation on his food share in favor of the Wildlings who were the enemies just last year? They depose him, in the only manner they know how. A dagger in the belly.

I know the post seems political. And please don't take me as a fervor defender of any politician (maybe a little bit here in my home country - Brazil). It is just that GRRM is clearly juggling with old questions of what is legal or what is just? What is written law and what are unwritten codes? Up to what stake should one place the 'state' priorities above of their personal/beloved ones? And in that sense to answer if he 'DESERVED IT' we must get political.

In conclusion at this time IMO Jon was a great leader with one small mistake and the punishment a few of the NW tried to apply for it (out of ignorance) will not benefit the NW in the long run. And therefore is undeserved.

BUT to be a greater leader still, he should have seen it coming, he should have known that time after time (for their own good) he was displeasing his NW brothers, and that, eventually daggers would be looking for his belly (without the need of any of Mel, of Snow's help/instincts). But to become great at anything one must practice and improve his abilities in that thing, and this was one of his first crude life lesson in office, and I think that almost all of us are hoping not his last lesson in life.

Thoughts are always welcome.

I agree that it was political, but I have quite a different take on it. We know from past experience that Bowen and his colleagues think of whoever sits the Iron Throne as their liege. And Bowen was much more adamant in opposition to Stannis' stay at Castle Black than others. So, when Jon read the letter, stating that Stannis was captured and his army defeated, naturally Bowen would want to do anything to show that the Night's Watch is on the winning side Iron Throne's side. And how best to do so than to dispose of a Lord Commander who showed hospitality to a rebel? Jon didn't break his oath nor would he have. He was dealing with a threat to the Night's Watch, and we know that the Lannisters do oppose him, this is why Janos was sent with so many men, to do what Bowen ended up doing.

He needed the support of the wildlings in earnest, and by saving those at Hardhome, he would have earned their respect, it was rash, but Winter Is Coming, the time for subtlety is over.