Linjani Izwe Lethu Namuhla?

INGABE nina enibadala ngokwanele ukuba nikhumbule u-1945 niye nalubona ushintsho oluthile ezindinganisweni nasekuziphatheni? Izigidi ziye zamukela “ukuziphatha okusha,” okucatshangwa ukuthi kunikeza inkululeko enkulu. Kodwa kunamuphi umphumela?

Indoda ethile eneminyaka engu-70 ubudala eyayikhonza eButhweni Lemikhumbi lase-United States phakathi nempi yezwe yesibili yathi: “Ngawo-1940, kwakunokwethembana okukhulu, futhi omakhelwane babesizana. Lapho sasihlala khona eCalifornia, kwakungadingeki ngisho nokuthi sikhiye iminyango. Babungekho ubugebengu basemgwaqweni, futhi ngokuqinisekile babungekho ubudlova bezikhali ezikoleni. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi ukwethembana cishe kunyamalele.” Sinjani isimo namuhla endaweni ohlala kuyo? Kubikwa ukuthi eNew York City, ingxenye yentsha eneminyaka engaphezu kwengu-14 ubudala iphatha izikhali. Kusetshenziswa imishini yokuthungatha okusansimbi kwezinye izikole ngomzamo wokuvimbela imimese, imimese yokuvula amabhokisi, nezibhamu. Unyaka ngamunye kukhulelwa intsha engaba isigidi e-United States, futhi oyedwa kwabathathu kulaba ukhipha isisu. Abasebasha abasanda kuthomba bangomama—izingane zinabantwana.

Iqembu elinamandla longqingili besilisa nabesifazane liye lagqugquzela indlela yalo yokuphila ngokuphumelelayo kangangokuba abantu abaningi baye bakuyekelela futhi bakwamukela. Kodwa bona, kanye nabanye, baye futhi bavuna umvuzo omkhulu ngokugula nokufa ngenxa yezifo ezithathelwana ngobulili njengengculaza. Umqedazwe wengculaza uye wasakazekela kubantu abahlanganyela ubulili nabobulili obuhlukile nakwabasebenzisa kabi izidakamizwa. Uye wabulala e-Afrika, eYurophu, naseNyakatho Melika. Futhi akubonakali uzophela.

Ethi A History of Private Life ithi: “Ubudlova, ukuluthwa utshwala, izidakamizwa: lezi izindlela eziyinhloko zokuziphatha kokuhlubuka emphakathini waseSweden.” Lawo mazwi ayiqiniso emazweni amaningi aseNtshonalanga. Ngokuwohloka kwezindinganiso ezingokwenkolo, kuye kwaba nokuwohloka okukhulu kokuziphatha, ngisho naphakathi kwabefundisi abaningi.

Ukusetshenziswa Kabi Kwezidakamizwa—Ngaleso Sikhathi Namanje

Emuva ngawo-1940, ukusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa cishe babengakwazi abantu abavamile baseNtshonalanga. Yebo, abantu babezwile nge-morphine, i-opium, ne-cocaine, kodwa iqembu elincane kakhulu elalizisebenzisa kabi lezi zidakamizwa. Babengekho abaholi bamaqembu ezidakamizwa noma abathengisi bazo njengoba sibazi namuhla. Babengekho abantu abaluthwe izidakamizwa emakhoneni emigwaqo. Manje siyini isimo ngo-1995? Abafundi abaningi balomagazini bayayazi impendulo kokuhlangenwe nakho kwabo ezindaweni zangakubo. Ukubulawa kwabantu ngenxa yezidakamizwa kuyinsakavukela emadolobheni amaningi amakhulu emhlabeni. Izazi zezombangazwe namajaji athunjwa abaholi bamaqembu ezidakamizwa abangayala futhi baqondise ukubulawa kwanoma yimuphi umuntu onethonya ongabambisani nabo. Umlando wamuva waseColombia nokuhlobana kwawo nezidakamizwa uwubufakazi balokhu.

Ubhadane lwezidakamizwa lubulala abantu abangaba ngu-40 000 unyaka ngamunye e-United States kuphela. Leyo nkinga ngokuqinisekile yayingekho ngo-1945. Akumangalisi ukuthi ngemva kwamashumi eminyaka ohulumeni bezama ukuqeda ukusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa, uPatrick Murphy, owayengukhomishane wamaphoyisa aseNew York City, wabhalela i-Washington Post isihloko esithi “Impi Yezidakamizwa Isiphelile—Izidakamizwa Zinqobile”! Uthi “ukuhweba ngezidakamizwa . . . manje kuphakathi kwamabhizinisi aphumelela kakhulu [e-United States], kunenzuzo engafinyelela kuma-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-150 [amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-545] kulonyaka.” Lenkinga inkulu futhi ibonakala ingenakuxazululwa. Ukusetshenziswa kabi kwezidakamizwa kunamakhasimende andayo, futhi njenganoma imuphi omunye umkhuba omubi, amakhasimende akho aluthekile. Kuyibhizinisi elisekela umnotho wamazwe amaningana.

UJohn K. Galbraith, uprofesa wesayensi yezomnotho, wabhala encwadini yakhe ethi The Culture of Contentment: “Ukushushumbisa izidakamizwa, ukudubula ngokungakhethi, obunye ubugebengu nokuhlukana komkhaya manje kuyizici zemihla ngemihla.” Uthi imiphakathi emincane emadolobheni amaningi amakhulu aseMelika “manje isiphila ngokwesaba nokuphelelwa ithemba.” Ubhala ukuthi “kufanele kulindelwe inzondo enkulu nokuyaluza komphakathi.” Ngani? Ngoba uthi abacebile baceba kakhulu futhi abampofu, “isigaba esiphansi,” abandayo ngamanani, baba mpofu kakhulu.

Amathonya Obugebengu Bomhlaba Wonke

Kunobufakazi obunqwabelanayo manje bokuthi amaqembu ezigebengu asakaza ithonya lawo emhlabeni wonke. Sekuyiminyaka eminingi ubugebengu obuhleliwe, ‘namaqembu abo,’ busebenzelana phakathi kwe-Italy ne-United States. Kodwa manje uNobhala-jikelele we-UN uBoutros Boutros-Ghali uye waxwayisa ngokuthi “ubugebengu obuhleliwe obusemhlabeni wonke . . . abuyigqizi qakala imingcele futhi bunethonya embulungeni yonke.” Wathi: “EYurophu, e-Asia, e-Afrika naseMelika, amandla obumnyama ayasebenza futhi awukho umphakathi osindayo.” Wathi futhi “ubugebengu obusemhlabeni wonke . . . abuzishayi mkhuba zona kanye izisekelo zohlelo lokubusa ngentando yeningi emhlabeni wonke. [Bonakalisa] isimo samabhizinisi, bonakalisa abaholi bezombangazwe futhi bululaza amalungelo abantu.”

Ibalazwe Selishintshile

UVaclav Havel, umongameli waseCzech Republic, enkulumweni ayinikeza ePhiladelphia, e-U.S.A., wathi izenzakalo ezimbili zezombangazwe ezibaluleke kakhulu engxenyeni yesibili yekhulu lama-20 kwakuwukuphela kokwenza amakoloni nokuwa kobuKhomanisi eMpumalanga Yurophu. Ukuqhathaniswa kwebalazwe lango-1945 nelika-1995 ngokushesha kubonisa izinxushunxushu eziye zenzeka emhlabeni, ikakhulukazi e-Afrika, e-Asia, naseYurophu.

Qhathanisa isimo sezombangazwe saleminyaka emibili. Phakathi neminyaka engu-50 edlule, ubuKhomanisi bafinyelela umvuthwandaba wabo kodwa bagcina buqediwe emazweni amaningi ayengaphansi kobuKhomanisi. Kulawo mazwe ukubusa kobushiqela kuye kwaphendla indlela yohlobo oluthile “lombuso wentando yeningi.” Nokho, abantu abaningi bezwa imiphumela yokuguqukela komphakathi wabo emnothweni wokuhweba ngokukhululekile. Ukuswelakala kwemisebenzi kwandile, futhi ngokuvamile imali iyize. Ngo-1989 i-ruble yaseRussia yayilingana namaRandi angu-5,84. Ngesikhathi kubhalwa lesi sihloko, udinga ama-ruble angaphezu kuka-1 180 ukuze uthole iRandi!

Umagazini i-Modern Maturity wabika ukuthi namuhla abantu baseRussia abayizigidi ezingaba ngu-40 bampofu. Othile waseRussia wathi: “Asikwazi ngisho nokukhokhela ukufa. Asikwazi ukukhokhela umngcwabo.” Ngisho nomngcwabo wezinga eliphansi ubiza ama-ruble angaba ngu-400 000. Izidumbu ziyanqwabelana emakhazeni. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, kufanele kuphawulwe ukuthi amaMelika angaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-36 ampofu e-United States!

Umlobeli wezezimali we-Guardian Weekly, uWill Hutton, wabhala ngezinkinga zaseMpumalanga Yurophu. Ngaphansi kwesihloko esithi “Ngena Enkathini Yokukhathazeka,” wathi: “Ukuwa kobukhomanisi nokuncipha kweRussia ibe izwe elincane kusukela ekhulwini le-18 kuyizenzakalo ezingakaqondakali.” Amazwe amasha angaba ngu-25 aye athatha isikhundla sombuso wezwe elaliyiSoviet. Uthi “injabulo okwamukelwa ngayo ukuwa kobukhomanisi seyidlulele ekukhathazekeni okwandayo ngekusasa. . . . Kungagqashuka iziphithiphithi zezomnotho nezombangazwe—futhi intshonalanga Yurophu ayinakulindela ukuba ingathinteki.”

Njengoba kunalombono wokungabi nathemba, akumangalisi ukuthi uHutton uphetha isihloko sakhe ngokuthi: “Izwe lidinga isiqondiso esingcono kunezikhalo ezivamile zombuso wentando yeningi nezimakethe—kodwa asikho esitholakalayo.” Ngakho izizwe zingaphendukelaphi ukuze zithole ikhambi? Isihloko esilandelayo sizonikeza impendulo.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 10]

I-UN Kusukela Ngo-1945

Kungani i-UN, eyabunjwa ngo-1945, iye yahluleka ukuvimbela izimpi eziningi kangaka? UNobhala-jikelele uBoutros Boutros-Ghali wathi enkulumweni yakhe ethi “Uhlelo Lokuthula”: “IZizwe Ezihlangene zazingenamandla okubhekana nalezi zinhlekelele ngenxa yokwenqatshelwa izincwadi—ezingu-279 zazo—ezalethwa kuyi-Security Council, ezazikuzwakalisa ngokucacile ukuhlukana kwangaleyo nkathi [yeMpi Yomshoshaphansi phakathi kohulumeni besimiso sokuhweba ngokukhululekile nabobuKhomanisi].”

Ingabe i-UN ayizange izame ukugcina ukuthula phakathi kwezizwe? Iye yazama, kodwa kuye kwaba nezindleko eziphakeme. “Kwenziwa imikhankaso yokugcina ukuthula engu-13 phakathi nonyaka ka-1945 noka-1987; neminye engu-13 kusukela ngaleso sikhathi. Amabutho, amaphoyisa nezakhamuzi ezilinganiselwa ku-528 000 aye asebenza ngaphansi kwefulege leZizwe Ezihlangene kwaze kwaba ngo-January 1992. Abangaphezu kuka-800 basemazweni angu-43 bafa besebenzela leNhlangano. Izindleko zalemikhankaso ziye zalinganiselwa kuma-dollar ayizigidi ezingu-8 300 [amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-30-100] kuze kube ngo-1992.”

[Umthombo]

Tank and missile: U.S. Army photo

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 11]

Ithelevishini

Umfundisi Noma Umonakalisi?

Uma kuqhathaniswa ambalwa amakhaya ayenethelevishini ngo-1945. Kwakuseyinhlobo yakudala enezithombe ezingenambala ophelele. Namuhla, i-TV iyisela nomgxambukeli oyekelelwayo cishe kuwo wonke amakhaya asemazweni athuthukile nakuwo wonke amadolobhana asemazweni asathuthuka. Nakuba ingcosana yezinhlelo ifundisa futhi yakha, iningi lazo liwohloza izindinganiso zokuziphatha futhi licwilisa izindinganiso zomphakathi. Njengoba sekuthandwa izithombe zama-video, ukusetshenziswa kabi kwezithombe zobulili ezingcolile namabhayisikobho abantu abadala kuphela kungokunye okunezela ekuwohlokeni kokuziphatha okunempilo.

[Isithombe ekhasini 9]

Izimpi, ezinjengeyaseVietnam, ziye zabulala abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-20 kusukela ngo-1945

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 8]

Patrick Frilet/Sipa Press

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 8]

Luc Delahaye/ Sipa Press