“Imishini Yembubhiso” Yabikezelwa

“Ingqondo eyonakele yomuntu ihlale ihlola izindlela zokusebenzisa imiphumela yamakhono akhe ukuze agqilaze, abhubhise noma aphambe abanye abantu.” —Horace Walpole, umlobi oyiNgisi wekhulu le-18.

UBUCHWEPHESHE bezindiza buye balethela isintu izinzuzo eziningi. Noma kunjalo, yeka indlela amazwi angenhla kaHorace Walpole aye aba yiqiniso ngayo! Ngisho nangaphambi kokuba abantu bakwazi ukundiza, babelokhu becabanga ngezindlela eziningi zokusebenzisa imishini endizayo njengamathuluzi empi.

Ngo-1670, iminyaka engaphezu kweyikhulu ngaphambi kokuba umuntu wokuqala andize ngebhaluni, umJesuit wase-Italy uFrancesco Lana waveza ukuthi cishe “kwakungenakwenzeka ukuba uNkulunkulu avumele ukwakhiwa komshini [indiza] onjengalo, ukuze avimbele imiphumela ehlukahlukene engase iphazamise ukuphathwa kwezindaba zezenhlalo nezombangazwe phakathi kwabantu.” Kodwa ebheka phambili, wanezela: “Ngubani [ongaboni] ukuthi alikho idolobha ebeliyophepha ekuhlaselweni ngokungazelelwe, ngoba indiza ingase ivele noma nini eshashalazini yehlise amabutho ayo? Bekuyokwenzeka okufanayo emagcekeni emizi yabantu nasemikhunjini esabalele olwandle . . . Ngisho nangaphandle kokuba yehle, ibingajikijela izikhali zensimbi ezingagumbuqela imikhumbi futhi zibulale nabantu, futhi imikhumbi ibingagaselwa ngezikhali zokwenziwa, izinhlamvu namabhomu.”

Ekugcineni lapho kuba namabhaluni anomoya oshisayo ne-hydrogen ekupheleni kwekhulu le-18, uWalpole wayenovalo lokuthi lezi zinto ngokushesha zaziyoba “imishini yembubhiso kulo lonke uhlanga lwesintu.” Empeleni, ngasekupheleni kuka-1794, ojenene bamaFulentshi base besebenzisa amabhaluni e-hydrogen ukuze bahlole izindawo zezitha futhi baphake nempi. Amabhaluni asetshenziswa naseMpini Yombango YaseMelika nasezimpini zeFrance nePrussia ngawo-1870. Futhi phakathi nezimpi zezwe ezimbili ekhulwini elidlule leminyaka, amasosha aseMelika, eBrithani, eFrance naseJalimane awasebenzisa kakhulu amabhaluni lapho kwenziwa umsebenzi wobunhloli.

Ibhaluni laba ithuluzi lokufa eMpini Yezwe II lapho ibutho laseJapane lithumela amabhaluni angu-9 000 ayenamabhomu acushiwe e-United States. Kula mabhaluni ayeneziqhumane, angu-280 afinyelela eNyakatho Melika.

Kwakulindelwe Izindiza Zempi

Kusukela indiza yaba khona nayo yayibhekwa njengomshini wempi. Ngo-1907, u-Alexander Graham Bell wathi: “Bambalwa kakhulu abaziyo ukuthi elaseMelika selisondele kangakanani ekuxazululeni inkinga eyoshintsha indlela okulwiwa ngayo emhlabeni wonke—ngikhuluma ngokwakhiwa kwendiza yempi engokoqobo ehamba emoyeni.” Ngawo lowo nyaka, i-New York Times yacaphuna umklami wamabhaluni uKaputen’ uThomas T. Lovelace ethi: “Phakathi neminyaka emibili kuya kwemihlanu wonke amazwe amakhulu ayoba nezindiza zempi nezindiza ezithwala amabhomu njengoba nje manje enemikhumbi yokuciba amabhomu ngaphansi kwamanzi.”

Ezinyangeni ezintathu kamuva, izelamani zakwaWright zacelwa i-U.S. Signal Corps ukuba zakhe indiza yempi yokuqala. Isihloko se-New York Times ka-September 13, 1908 sachaza ukuthi kungani ibutho lempi lalinesithakazelo esingaka ekwakheni indiza: “Kungajikijelwa ibhomu kushimula womkhumbi wempi, lidale umonakalo omkhulu emishinini futhi liqedele umsebenzi walo wokubhubhisa ngokuqhumisa obhayela.”

Njengoba nje uBell ayeshilo, indiza kamuva ‘yashintsha indlela okulwiwa ngayo emhlabeni wonke.’ Ngo-1915, abenzi bezindiza base beklame isibhamu esiwuntuluntulu esiklanyelwe ukudubula siphakathi kophephela bendiza. Ngokushesha kwanezelwa ezindizeni zempi izindiza ezithwala amabhomu, ezaklanywa zaba zinkulu futhi zaba namandla kakhulu eMpini Yezwe II. Ngo-August 6, 1945, indiza i-B-29 Superfortress yajikijela ibhomu lokuqala le-athomu elasetshenziswa empini, elacekela phansi idolobha laseHiroshima eJapane futhi lagcina libulele abantu abangu-100 000.

Eminyakeni emibili ngaphambi kwalokho, ngo-1943, u-Orville Wright wayesho ngasese ukuthi wayezisola ngokuklama indiza. Waphawula ukuthi phakathi nezimpi zezwe ezimbili, yayibe isikhali esibi kakhulu. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, njengoba sekunamabhomu aqondiswa ngemisebe ye-laser nalokho okuthiwa amabhomu ahlakaniphile, amandla ayo okubhubhisa anda kakhulu, njengoba ‘isizwe sivukela isizwe.’—Mathewu 24:7.

[Izithombe ekhasini 22, 23]

1. Ibhaluni elingenamuntu elithwala amabhomu

2. Ibhaluni eliyisivikelo

[Umthombo]

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, LC-USE6-D-004722

3. Indiza i-B-29 Superfortress

[Umthombo]

USAF photo

4. Indiza i-Strike Fighter F/A-18C Hornet

5. Indiza i-F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter

[Umthombo]

U.S. Department of Defense