Ngu Erin Niemela
Uhlaselo lweenqwelomoya olukhokelwa yi-US olujolise kwi-Islamic State (ISIL) luvule iingcango zengxelo yeendaba zemfazwe ngamajelo eendaba aqhelekileyo - ukonakalisa idemokhrasi noxolo lwaseMelika. Oku kuye kwabonakala mva nje kwisixhobo sedemokhrasi ngokwesiko esisetyenziswa ngamaphephandaba aseMelika: uvoto lwezimvo zoluntu. Olu vavanyo lwemfazwe, njengoko lufanele ukubizwa ngalo ngexesha lemfazwe, luyindelelo kubo bobabini ubuntatheli obuhloniphekileyo kunye noluntu olunolwazi. Ziyimveliso ye-rally-round-the-flag ye-journalism kwaye ngaphandle kokuphononongwa rhoqo, iziphumo zokhetho lwemfazwe zenza ukuba uluvo loluntu lujonge ngakumbi kwimfazwe kunokuba injalo.
Uvoto lukawonke-wonke lwenzelwe ukubonakalisa kunye nokomeleza indima yamajelo eendaba kwidemokhrasi njengokubonisa okanye ukumela uluvo lwesininzi. Imithombo yeendaba ye-Corporate ye-Corporate ithathwa njengethembekileyo ekuboneleleni oku kubonakaliswa ngokusekelwe kwiingcamango zenjongo kunye nokulinganisela, kwaye abezopolitiko baye baziwa ngokuqwalasela ii-polls kwizigqibo zabo zomgaqo-nkqubo. Kwezinye iimeko, ii-poll zinokuba luncedo ekubandakanyeni i-feedback loop phakathi kwezopolitiko, amajelo eendaba kunye noluntu.
Ingxaki iza xa uvoto lukawonke-wonke ludibana nobuntatheli bemfazwe; iinjongo zegumbi leendaba zangaphakathi zobulungisa kunye nokulinganisela kunokuguqula okwethutyana kubhengezo kunye nokucenga - ngenjongo okanye hayi - ngokuthanda imfazwe nobundlobongela.
Ubuntatheli bemfazwe, obuchongwe okokuqala ngeminyaka yoo-1970 ngoxolo kunye nesifundiswa songquzulwano uJohan Galtung, luphawulwa ngamacandelo aphambili, onke athanda ukukholisa amazwi kunye nezinto anomdla kuzo. Kodwa enye yeempawu zayo kukuthambekela kobundlobongela. Ubuntatheli bemfazwe bucingela ukuba ubundlobongela kuphela kwendlela yokulawula ungquzulwano olufanelekileyo. Uthethathethwano luyimfuneko, ubundlobongela luthethathethwano, nantoni na eyenye ayenzi nto kwaye, ubukhulu becala, ukungasebenzi kuphosakele.
Intatheli yoxolo, ngokuchaseneyo, ithatha indlela yoxolo, kwaye ithatha ukuba kukho inani elingapheliyo lokhetho lolawulo longquzulwano olungenabundlobongela. I inkcazo esemgangathweni yobuntatheli boxolokukuba “xa abahleli nabacholacholi beendaba besenza ukhetho – malunga nento emayixele, nendlela yokuyixela – nto leyo edala amathuba okuba uluntu ngokubanzi luqwalasele kwaye luxabise iimpendulo ezingezizo ubundlobongela kwingxwabangxwaba.” Abachola-choli beendaba abathatha isimo sobundlobongela nabo benza ukhetho malunga nokuba yintoni ekufuneka bayixele kunye nendlela yokuyixela, kodwa endaweni yokugxininisa (okanye ukuquka) ukhetho olungenalo ubundlobongela, bahlala behamba ngokuthe ngqo kwiingcebiso zonyango "zokugqibela" kwaye bahlale behleli de baxelelwe ngenye indlela. Njengenja yomlindi.
Uluvo lwezimvo zoluntu lwemfazwe lubonisa utyekelo lobuntatheli bemfazwe obuxhasa ubundlobongela ngendlela imibuzo ebhalwe ngayo kunye nenani kunye nohlobo lweenketho ezinikezelweyo njengeempendulo. "Ngaba uyaluxhasa okanye uyaluchasa uhlaselo lwase-US ngokuchasene nabavukeli baseSunni eIraq?" "Ngaba uyakuxhasa okanye uyakuchasa ukwandisa uhlaselo lomoya lwase-US ngokuchasene nabavukeli beSunni ukuya eSyria?" Yomibini le mibuzo ivela Uvoto lwemfazwe yaseWashington ekuqaleni kukaSeptemba 2014ekuphenduleni iqhinga likaMongameli Obama lokoyisa i-ISIL. Umbuzo wokuqala ubonise i-71 pesenti yokuxhasa. Eyesibini ibonise i-65 pesenti yokuxhasa.
Ukusetyenziswa kwe "Sunni abavukeli" kufuneka kuxoxwe ngelinye ixesha, kodwa enye ingxaki ngale mibuzo / okanye imfazwe ye-poll imibuzo kukuba bacinga ukuba ubundlobongela kunye nokungasebenzi zizinto ezikhethiweyo kuphela - i-airstrikes okanye akukho nto, ukuxhasa okanye ukuchasa. Akukho mbuzo kwi-poll yemfazwe yaseWashington ebuzwa ukuba abantu baseMelika banokuxhasa ukunyanzela iSaudi Arabia ukuba iyeke ukuxhobisa kunye nokuxhasa ngemali i-ISILor ukumisa ezethu izixhobo kuMbindi Mpuma. Kwaye okwangoku, ezi zikhetho zingenabundlobongela, phakathi kwabaninzi, abaninzi, zikhona.
Omnye umzekelo yi-poll echazwe ngokubanzi yeWall Street Journal/NBC News war poll ukususela phakathi kuSeptemba 2014 apho i-60 pesenti yabathathi-nxaxheba bavuma ukuba isenzo somkhosi esichasene ne-ISIL sinomdla welizwe lase-US. Kodwa olo vavanyo lwemfazwe aluphumelelanga ukubuza ukuba ngaba abantu baseMelika bavumile na ukuba isenzo sokwakha uxolo ekuphenduleni i-ISIL sisemdleni wethu wesizwe.
Kuba ubuntatheli bemfazwe sele bucinga ukuba lunye kuphela uhlobo lwesenzo-intshukumo yasemkhosini-ukhetho lwe-WSJ/NBC lwemfazwe yokuvota luncitshisiwe: Ngaba intshukumo yasemkhosini kufuneka ithintelwe kuhlaselo lomoya okanye lubandakanye ukulwa? Ukhetho lobundlobongela A okanye ukhetho lobundlobongela B? Ukuba awuqinisekanga okanye awufuni ukukhetha, intatheli yemfazwe ithi "awunambono."
Iziphumo zophando lwemfazwe zipapashwa, zijikeleziswa kwaye ziphindaphindwa njengenyani kude kube enye i-30-35 ipesenti, abo bethu abafuni ukukhetha phakathi kweenketho ezinobundlobongela A kunye no-B okanye banolwazi malunga neendlela ezizezinye, ezixhaswe ngamandla, ziye zatyhalelwa ecaleni. "Abantu baseMelika bafuna iibhombu kunye neebhutsi, yabona, kunye nemithetho emininzi," baya kuthi. Kodwa, ii-polls zemfazwe azibonakalisi okanye zilinganise uluvo loluntu. Bakhuthaza kwaye babethelela uluvo kwinto enye: imfazwe.
Ubuntatheli boxolo bubona kwaye bubeke esweni iindlela ezininzi ezingabinabundlobongela zihlala zingahoywa ziintatheli zemfazwe kunye nookhetshe bezopolitiko. Intatheli yoxolo "i-poll yoxolo" iya kunika abemi ithuba lokubuza kunye nomxholo wokusetyenziswa kobundlobongela ekuphenduleni ungquzulwano kunye nokuqwalasela kunye nokuxabisa ukhetho olungenabugorha ngokubuza imibuzo efana nale, "ukhathazeke kangakanani ukuba iindawo eziqhubhisayo zaseSiriya nase-Iraq ziya kukhuthaza ubumbano. phakathi kwamaqela abanqolobi achasene neNtshona? Okanye, "uyayixhasa i-US ilandela umthetho wamazwe ngamazwe kwimpendulo yayo kwizenzo ze-Islamic State?" Okanye mhlawumbi, "Ungasixhasa kangakanani isithintelo sezixhobo zamazwe ngamazwe kwindawo apho i-Islamic State isebenza khona?" Uvoto luza kubuza nini, "Ngaba uyakholelwa ukuba uhlaselo lwasemkhosini luya kunceda ekuqeshweni kwabanqolobi abatsha?" Ingaba ezi ziphumo zovoto zingajongeka njani?
Ukuthembeka kweentatheli, iinkokeli zezopolitiko kunye neenkokheli zezimvo ezingakhethwanga kufuneka zibizwe ngemibuzo kunye naluphi na ukusetyenziswa kwemfazwe yokuvota okanye iziphumo zokuvota kwemfazwe apho ukuphumelela okanye ukuziphatha kobundlobongela kucingelwa. Abachasi bobundlobongela akufanele bahlekise ukusetyenziswa kwe-poll yemfazwe iziphumo kwingxoxo kwaye kufuneka bacele ngenkuthalo iziphumo zokuvota malunga neendlela zokudala uxolo, endaweni yoko. Ukuba ulwakhiwo olunye lwenzelwe ukusigcina sinolwazi njengoluntu lwedemokhrasi aluhoyi okanye luthulisa uninzi lweendlela zokuphendula ezingaphaya kobundlobongela, asikwazi ukwenza izigqibo ezinolwazi ngokwenene njengabemi bedemokhrasi. Sifuna ubuntatheli boxolo ngakumbi - iintatheli, abahleli, abahlalutyi kunye novoto ngokuqinisekileyo - ukunikela ngaphezu kobundlobongela uA kunye no-B.
U-Erin Niemela ungumviwa weMatriki kwinkqubo yokuSombulula iMibango kwi-University of Portland State ne-Editor PeaceVoice.
