Amadolobha Amakhulu Ezentengiselwano

EBHAYIBHELINI iBabiloni lasendulo lalibizwa ngokuthi ‘umuzi wabahwebi.’ (Hezekeli 17:4, 12, qhathanisa ne-NW.) Lelogama lalingayifanela neTire yasendulo, leyo namuhla ehlanganiswa neSur, itheku elisoLwandle LwaseMedithera phakathi kweBeirut (Lebanoni) neHaifa (Israyeli).

Ngokomunye umthombo, iTire “yayiyitheku elikhulu laseFenike kusukela cishe ngo-2000 BC kuya phambili.” Ngesikhathi ama-Israyeli enqoba iZwe Lesithembiso cishe ngo-1467 B.C.E., iTire yayiwumbuso omkhulu onamandla okulwa olwandle. Amatilosi ayo neviyo lakhona lemikhumbi yezentengiselwano kwaduma ngenxa yokuya ezindaweni ezikude kakhulu.—1 AmaKhosi 10:11, 22.

Iviyo Lemikhumbi Elinamandla

“Busa, iBrithani, busa amagagasi,” kubhala imbongi yaseScotland yekhulu le-18 uJames Thomson ngokuphathelene neviyo lemikhumbi elasiza ekwenzeni uMbuso waseBrithani ube ngenye yezindawo zezentengiselwano ezinkulu kunazo zonke ezake zaba khona. “Amandla okulwa olwandle aqinisekisa ukuthi iBrithani yayilondekile ekuhlaselweni, ukulondeka kwezimpahla zasebukhosini, nokungaphazamiseki kokuthuthuka kwezithakazelo zayo zezohwebo ezisakazeke emhlabeni wonke.”—The Cambridge Historical Encyclopedia of Great Britain and Ireland.

Njengoba umbuso waseBrithani wawusabalala, ezohwebo zawo zasakazekela embulungeni yonke. Phakathi kuka-1625 no-1783, izimpahla ezingena khona zanda ngamaphesenti angaba ngu-400 futhi ezithunyelwa ngaphandle zanda ngamaphesenti angaphezu kuka-300. Ngo-1870, izimboni zaseBrithani zazikhiqiza izinto ezakhiwayo emhlabeni ezingaphezu kwengxenye eyodwa kwezintathu. Njengoba upondo waseBrithani ngokusobala wawunamandla kwezohwebo zomhlaba wonke, iLondon yaba isikhungo esingenakuqhathaniswa sezezimali emhlabeni.

Namuhla iLondon isho izinto ezihlukahlukene kubantu abahlukahlukene. Abathandi bomculo bacabanga nge-opera yaseCovent Garden noma iRoyal Festival Hall, abalandeli bezemidlalo bacabanga ngeWembley nangeWimbledon, abathandi bemidlalo yaseshashalazini bacabanga ngeWest End. Abathandi bemfashini bacabanga ngeSavile Row noma ngeCarnaby Street, abafundi bezomlando bacabanga ngoMbhoshongo WaseLondon nangoMnyuziyamu WaseBrithani, kuyilapho abathandi bemibukiso—ingasaphathwa eyokuhleba namahlazo—bengase bacabange ngeziNgosi ZasePhalamende nesiGodlo saseBuckingham.

Ngokudidayo, akukho neyodwa yalezizindawo ezikhanga izivakashi ezibuka amazwe eyakhiwe phakathi edolobheni laseLondon. ILondon uqobo, ebizwa nje ngokuthi iDolobha, iyisikhungo sezentengiselwano sendawo eyidolobhakazi eyakhiwe inqwaba yezindawo ezingamaphethelo amadolobha. Phakathi ‘neSquare Mile’ yaseLondon kuneBhange LaseNgilandi, elitekuliswa ngokuthi iNdlovukazi Endala YeThreadneedle Street. Lamiswa ngokomthetho umthetho wasePhalamende ngo-1694 futhi lingelinye lamabhange esizwe amadala kakhulu emhlabeni. Lezizinhlangano ezinamandla zisebenza njengamabhange kuhulumeni, ziqondisa ukwabiwa kwemali nezikweletu, ngokuvamile zithonya kakhulu isimo sezomnotho sikahulumeni. Okunye okutholakala kuleliDolobha iNdawo Yokudayisa Amasheya neLloyd’s of London eseduze, abanikazi bomshwalense emhlabeni wonke.

Ngenxa yendlela yakhona yokuphila yokungabi nandaba yaqanjwa ngokuthi iSwinging London ngawo-1960, kodwa nakuba kunjalo leliDolobha liye laba nosizi cishe phakathi neminyaka engu-2 000 likhona. Ngo-1665 uBhubhane Olukhulu—ubhubhane olungumqedazwe lwesifo sezimbilapho—lwabulala abantu abangaba ngu-100 000, futhi ngemva konyaka uMlilo Omkhulu wacishe waliqothula leliDolobha. Muva nje, phakathi neMpi Yezwe II ukuhlasela kweJalimane ngamabhomu kwabulala izakhamuzi zaseLondon ezingu-30 000 futhi kwacekela phansi noma kwalimaza amaphesenti angu-80 ezindlu zakhona.

Lidlulwa Elisha

Uma liqhathaniswa neLondon, idolobha laseNew York, elasungulwa ngo-1624 abafuduki baseNetherlands futhi labizwa ngokuthi iNew Amsterdam, limane nje liselisha. Kodwa namuhla lingelinye lamatheku omhlaba amakhulu kakhulu namatasatasa kakhulu; liyisikhungo sezimboni, sezohwebo, nesezezimali; futhi yilapho kutholakala khona amabhange omhlaba amakhulu kakhulu nezinhlangano zezezimali. Njengesikhungo sezentengiselwano, liyayidlula i-Amsterdam neLondon. Njengokungathi ifanekisela lelithonya, imibhoshongo emibili yaseWorld Trade Centre eNew York, eyazanyazanyiswa ibhomu lephekula-zikhuni ngo-1993, namanje ngokuzigqaja iseyizitezi ezingu-110 ukuya phezulu.

Njengezwe eyidolobha lalo elikhulu, iNew York iyindawo egcwele izizwe ezihlukahlukene. Kusukela ngo-1886 iStatue of Liberty esethekwini layo iye yakhanga abantu abavela kwamanye amazwe ukuba beze ezweni elithembisa inkululeko namathuba alinganayo.

Eminye yemigwaqo yaseNew York ingaphezu kokuba amagama nje. Ngokwesibonelo, iBroadway iwuphawu lokuzijabulisa ngemidlalo yaseshashalazini, ibeka izindinganiso futhi iqala imikhuba ethonya umhlaba wonke. Futhi kuthiwani ngeWall Street? Ngo-1792 iqembu labadayisi abangu-24 lahlangana lapho ngaphansi kwesihlahla somkhiwane ukuze lixoxe ngokusungula iNdawo Yokudayisa Amasheya yaseNew York. Njengoba yamiswa ngokomthetho ngo-1817, leNdawo Yokudayisa Amasheya, manje eyindawo yokudayisa enkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni esebenza ngezibambiso, namuhla ngokuvamile yaziwa ngokuthi iWall Street.

IBroadway inikeza ezokuzijabulisa ezithakazelisayo, kodwa eqinisweni ayiyidluli iWall Street. Ngo-October 1987, lapho iWall Street iwa ngokujulile nangokuphazima kweso emlandweni, zonke ezinye izimakethe ezingu-22 ezihamba phambili zokudayisa amasheya emhlabeni wonke zawa ngokufanayo. Kwasakazeka “umuzwa wesimo esibi esiseduze”—kubhala intatheli ethile—esasigqugquzelwa izindaba “zokwenyuka okushaqisayo kwamanani kuzo zonke izindawo zokudayisa ezivulwa ngokushesha: iTokyo, iHong Kong, iLondon, iParis, iZurich.”

IWall Street entengantengayo, iSikhungo Somhlaba Sezohwebo esintengantengayo—ingabe lokhu kubikezelani ngezentengiselwano zomhlaba?

“Abantu Abaminyene”

IHong Kong inenani elikhulu kakhulu labantu kangangokuba yake yachazwa ngokuthi ‘inabantu abaminyene.’ Isifunda saseMong Kok sinabantu abangu-140 000 kulelo nalelo khilomitha-skwele! Indawo enkulu esiphinde yasetshenziswa iwulwandle, kodwa namanje inani labantu elingaba iphesenti elilodwa lisahlala emanzini ngokoqobo! Endaweni yakhona baziwa ngokuthi amaTanka, bahlala emikhunjini noma ezikebheni, njengoba kwakwenza okhokho babo ababengabadobi, ababevela enyakatho China futhi bakha lapho idolobha elincane labadobi phakathi nenkulungwane yesibili B.C.E.

Phakathi nekhulu le-19, abaseBrithani bafika futhi ngokushesha baqaphela ukuthi iHong Kong isendaweni engasebenziseka futhi ethembisayo kwezentengiselwano. Itheku layo elihle lalifinyeleleka nhlangothi zombili ngasempumalanga nangasentshonalanga, futhi lalisemizileni eyinhloko yezohwebo phakathi kweYurophu neMpumalanga Ekude. Ngenxa yeziMpi Ze-opium ezimbili (1839-42 nango-1856-60), iChina yaphoqeleleka ukuba inikeze iBrithani isiQhingi saseHong Kong nezingxenye zeNhlonhlo iKowloon, futhi ngaleyondlela lezizindawo zaba ikoloni eBrithani. Ngo-1898 lendawo yonke, kuhlanganise neziNdawo Ezintsha ukuya ngasenyakatho, kwaqashiselwa iBrithani ngesivumelwano sesikhathi esiyiminyaka engu-99. Lapho lesisivumelwano siphela ngo-1997, iHong Kong iyobuyela eChina.

Njengokufanelana nedolobha i-National Geographic elibiza ngokuthi “isikhungo somhlaba sezezimali sesithathu kwezinkulu kunazo zonke futhi esingeseshumi nanye kwezomnotho ezinkulu ezihwebayo,” iHong Kong imatasatasa ngokwenza nangokuchitha imali. Amazwi athi “Kwangathi ungabusiswa ngokuchuma” avame ukusetshenziswa lapho kubingelelwana phakathi nokugujwa koNyaka Omusha. Futhi kubonakala sengathi izakhamuzi zakhona eziningi ziye zabusiswa kakhulu, okuholele lomagazini ukuba uthi “umuntu ngamunye eHong Kong uphuza kakhulu i-cognac futhi kunamaRolls-Royce amaningi, kulelo nalelo eka [hektare], kunanoma iyiphi indawo emhlabeni.”

Lokhu kuchuma kwakungeke kubonakale phakathi neMpi Yezwe II, lapho ezentengiselwano ziwohloka ngokuphawulekayo eHong Kong, ukudla kuyivelakancane, futhi izakhamuzi eziningi kakhulu zakhona zabalekela phakathi neChina kangangokuba inani labantu bakhona lehla ngaphezu kwengxenye. Ngemva kwempi, lelidolobha ladlondlobala kangangokuba laba yizwe lase-Asia elinamandla kakhulu kwezomnotho. Imikhiqizo yalo idayisa kahle ezikhungweni zomhlaba zokudayisa ngoba ngokuqhathaniswa umsebenzi wezinga eliphansi nezinto ezingakulungele ukusetshenziswa kugcina amanani ephansi. Ngo-1992 izimpahla zakhona eziya kwamanye amazwe zenyuka cishe ngokuphindwe izikhathi ezingu-45 kunalokho ezaziyikho ngo-1971.

Ziyoba yini izimo zezentengiselwano, zezombangazwe, nezenhlalo lapho iHong Kong ibuyela eChina ngo-1997? Ezinye izakhamuzi namabhizinisi akukhululekile futhi sekuthuthele kwezinye izindawo. Ezinye ziye zahlala, kodwa kungenzeka ukuthi kakade sezifihle imali yazo endaweni ezinomuzwa wokuthi iyolondeka kangcono.

“Inqolobane Yomhlaba Wonke”

Phakathi nekhulu leminyaka le-17, iSwitzerland yathatha inkambiso yokungathathi-hlangothi kwezombangazwe, inkambiso engazange ikwazi ukuyilondoloza ngokuphumelelayo ngaso sonke isikhathi. Nakuba kunjalo, imali elondolozwe lapho ibhekwa njengelondekile uma kuqhathaniswa. Futhi isimiso samabhange saseSwitzerland sigcina imfihlo ngokuphelele. Ngakho abantu abafuna ukufihla umcebo wabo—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ngasiphi isizathu—bayasizwa ukuba bahlale bengaziwa ngokuphelele.

Enkabeni yalezizindaba zezimali kukhona iZurich. Njengoba kunabantu abangaphezu kuka-830 000 abahlala kulelidolobhakazi, iyidolobha laseSwitzerland elikhulu kunawo wonke. Ukuba kwayo sendaweni engasebenziseka emizileni yezohwebo yaseYurophu kuye kwayizuzisa kahle emakhulwini eminyaka, futhi namuhla ihamba phambili ekuxhaseni ngezimali okwenziwa emhlabeni wonke. Eqinisweni, uProfesa Herbert Kubly ubiza umgwaqo omkhulu waseZurich ngokuthi “isikhungo samabhange seZwekazi LaseYurophu nenqolobane yomhlaba wonke.”

Futhi iZurich iye yaba nengxenye ekuthuthukeni okungokwenkolo. Umpristi ongumKatolika ogama lakhe linguHuldrych Zwingli washumayela khona uchungechunge lwezintshumayelo ngo-1519 ezaholela ekubeni nempikiswano nombhishobhi wedolobha ongumKatolika. Kwalandela izinkulumo-mpikiswano ezaba ngo-1523, futhi uZwingli wanqoba. Njengoba iNguquko YamaProthestani aseSwitzerland yayiba namandla, amanye amadolobha amakhulu aseSwitzerland aba ngasohlangothini lukaZwingli futhi aba abavikeli bendlela yakhe yobuProthestani.

“Indodana” yamuva nje yaseZurich kwakungu-Albert Einstein, owayebhekwa njengomunye wezihlakaniphi zesayensi ezinkulu emlandweni. Nakuba azalelwa eJalimane, u-Einstein wafunda i-physics nezibalo eZurich. Incwadi ayinyathelisa ngo-1905 yamzuzela ngisho neziqu zeDoctor of Philosophy e-University of Zurich. Impumelelo yakhe ihambisana nesiko elidala laseSwitzerland lobuhle besayensi, iZurich eyaba nengxenye enkulu kulo. I-Federal Institute of Technology yakhona isikhiqize abantu abazuza umklomelo kaNobel ngaphezu kwanoma yisiphi isikole sesayensi emhlabeni.

Naphezu kokuba nengcebo eningi, naphezu kwefa layo elingokwenkolo nelingokwesayensi, iZurich inezinkinga. Ngo-May odlule iphephandaba i-European lanikeza umfanekiso ongathakazelisi ngalelidolobha. Laphawula ukuthi nakuba “iNeedle Park enedumela elibi yakulelidolobha, eyake yaheha abathengisi bezidakamizwa emhlabeni wonke isivaliwe,” inkundla yezidakamizwa imane nje yathuthela endaweni eyaziwa ngokuthi i-Kreis 5. Lombiko uthi, lendawo “imelela uhlobo lwento iSwitzerland ezimisele ukulufihla—ukungabikho kwemisebenzi, ukungabi namakhaya, ukuluthwa utshwala, isimo sengqondo sokuyekelela, izinkinga zezindlu, ngaphezu kwakho konke, ukusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa.”

Ngokudidayo, lenkinga yokusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa ihlanganisa iZurich neNew York neHong Kong. Cishe amaphesenti angaphezu kuka-80 e-heroin ashushumbiselwa eDolobheni laseNew York avela endaweni ebizwa ngokuthi iGolden Triangle yasenyakatho Myanmar, eThailand, naseLaos, lapho imiphakathi yomshoshaphansi yaseHong Kong eyaziwa ngokuthi ama-triad (inhlanganisela yokuthathu) ihileleke ngokujulile ekushushumbisweni kwezidakamizwa.a Ngaleyondlela, ama-dollar amaningi azuzwa yilama-triad aseHong Kong ngokudayisa i-heroin emilutheni yezidakamizwa yaseNew York cishe agcinwa efakwe kuma-akhawunti asemabhange aseZurich.

Amadolobha amakhulu ezentengiselwano, amelelwa kahle iLondon, iZurich, iHong Kong, neDolobha laseNew York, anokuningi okufana neTire yasendulo. Njengoba yayichuma ngokulimala kwamanye amazwe, impumelelo yeTire kwezentengiselwano yayigcwele ukuzidla nokuqhosha futhi ekugcineni yaholela enhlekeleleni.

Ingabe izikhungo zanamuhla zezentengiselwano ziyokwenza kangcono? Ingabe isisekelo sazo singcono kakhulu? Ubufakazi buwukuthi ngeke zenze kangcono kunamadolobha esizoxoxa ngawo esihlokweni esilandelayo sochungechunge lwethu.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

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