ngu-Lawrence Wittner, Januwari 1, 2018, Impi Iwubugebengu.
Phakathi neminyaka yawo-1930, yayithengiswa kakhulu ukudalulwa kohwebo lwezikhali lwamazwe ngamazwe, kuhlanganiswe ne-US Uphenyo lweCongressional yabakhi bezikhali beholwa nguSenator Gerald Nye, babe nomthelela omkhulu embonweni womphakathi waseMelika. Beqiniseka ukuthi osonkontileka bezempi babegqugquzela ukuthengiswa kwezikhali nempi ukuze bathole inzuzo, abantu abaningi babagxeka laba “bathengisi bokufa.”
Namuhla, emashumini ayisishiyagalombili eminyaka kamuva, abalandela esikhundleni sabo, manje ababizwa ngesizotha ngokuthi “osonkontileka bokuvikela,” bayaphila. Ngokuvumelana ne isifundo yi-Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, ukuthengiswa kwezikhali nezinkonzo zezempi ngabahlinzeki bezempi abakhulu bezinkampani eziyi-100 ngo-2016 (unyaka wakamuva lapho izibalo zitholakala khona) kukhuphuke kwafinyelela ku-$375 billion. Izinkampani zase-US zandise isabelo sazo saleyo samba safinyelela cishe kumaphesenti angama-58, zihlinzeka ngezikhali okungenani izizwe eziyi-100 emhlabeni jikelele.
Iqhaza elikhulu elibanjwe yizinkampani zaseMelika ekuhwebeni kwezikhali emhlabeni wonke likweleta okukhulu emizamweni yezikhulu zikahulumeni wase-US. “Izingxenye ezibalulekile zikahulumeni,” kuphawula umhlaziyi wezempi UWilliam Hartung, “bahlose ukuqinisekisa ukuthi izikhali zaseMelika zizogcwala imakethe yomhlaba wonke futhi izinkampani ezifana ne-Lockheed ne-Boeing zizophila impilo enhle. Kusukela kumongameli ohambweni lwakhe lwaphesheya ukuvakashela abaholi bomhlaba abambisene kuya konobhala bombuso nezokuvikela kubasebenzi bamanxusa aseMelika, izikhulu zaseMelika zisebenza njengabadayisi bezinkampani zezikhali.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, uyaphawula, “i-Pentagon ingumenzi wabo. Kusukela ekuhwebeni, ekusizeni nasekufakeni imali ebhange ngokoqobo evela ezivumelwaneni zezikhali kuye ekudluliseleni izikhali kwabasekeli abathandwayo ngemali yabakhokhi bentela, empeleni ingumdayisi wezikhali omkhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni.”
Ngo-2013, lapho u-Tom Kelly, iphini likanobhala we-Bureau of Political Affairs yoMnyango Wezwe ebuzwa ngesikhathi sokulalelwa kweCongress mayelana nokuthi ngabe abaphathi baka-Obama benza okwanele yini ukukhuthaza ukuthunyelwa kwezikhali zaseMelika, waphendula: "[Simelela] yezinkampani zethu futhi senza konke esingakwenza ukuze siqinisekise ukuthi lokhu kuthengiswa kuyadlula. . . futhi lokho kuyinto esiyenzayo nsuku zonke, ngokuyisisekelo [kuwo] wonke amazwekazi emhlabeni . . . futhi sihlale sicabanga ukuthi singenza kanjani kangcono.” Lokhu kwafakazela ukuhlola okwanele, ngoba phakathi neminyaka yokuqala eyisithupha yokuphatha kuka-Obama, izikhulu zikahulumeni wase-US zathola izivumelwano zokudayiswa kwezikhali zase-US ezingaphezu kwezigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-190 zamaRandi emhlabeni jikelele, ikakhulukazi eMpumalanga Ephakathi eguquguqukayo. Uzimisele ukwedlula owamandulele, uMongameli Donald Trump, ohambweni lwakhe lokuqala lwaphesheya kwezilwandle, waqhosha ngesivumelwano sezikhali esingamaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-110 (esihlanganisa amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-350 kule minyaka eyishumi ezayo) neSaudi Arabia.
Imakethe yezikhali eyodwa enkulu kunazo zonke isalokhu iyi-United States, ngoba leli zwe likleliswe kuqala phakathi kwezizwe ekusetshenzisweni kwemali kwezempi, nge 36 amaphesenti yengqikithi yomhlaba. UTrump ungumbungazi ovelele umshisekeli wezempi, njengoba kunjalo ne-Republican Congress, okwamanje esemkhankasweni wokugunyaza a Amaphesenti we-13 anda kusabelomali sezempi sase-US esivele sinezinkanyezi. Okuningi kwalokhu kuchithwa kwezempi esikhathini esizayo cishe kuzonikelwa ekuthengeni izikhali ezintsha nezimba eqolo zobuchwepheshe, osonkontileka bezempi banekhono lokuletha izigidi zamadola emikhankasweni yeminikelo kosopolitiki abaswele, baqasha ama-lobbyists angama-700 kuye kwayi-1,000 ukuze babaxoshe, bethi izikhungo zabo zokukhiqiza amasosha ziyadingeka ukuze kudaleke amathuba emisebenzi, nokuhlanganisa amathangi abo okucabanga axhaswe yizinkampani ukugqamisa ukwanda kwamazwe angaphandle. “izingozi.”
Bangaphinde bathembele ekwamukelweni kobungane kwabaphathi babo bangaphambili manje abanezikhundla eziphezulu ekuphathweni kukaTrump, okuhlanganisa nalokhu: Unobhala Wezokuvikela uJames Mattis (owayeyilungu lebhodi leGeneral Dynamics); Isikhulu Sabasebenzi Bendlu Emhlophe uJohn Kelly (owayeqashwe osonkontileka abambalwa bezempi); IPhini likaNobhala Wezokuvikela u-Patrick Shanahan (owayengumphathi we-Boeing); Unobhala Wezempi uMark Esper (owayeyiphini likamongameli waseRaytheon); Unobhala we-Air Force uHeather Wilson (owayengumxhumanisi we-Lockheed Martin); U-Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition u-Ellen Lord (owayeyi-CEO yenkampani ye-aerospace); kanye Nomphathi Wezisebenzi WoMkhandlu Kazwelonke Wezokuphepha u-Keith Kellogg (owayeyisisebenzi sesonkontileka esikhulu sezempi kanye nezobunhloli).
Le fomula isebenza kahle kakhulu kosonkontileka bezempi base-US, njengoba kuboniswe endabeni ka-Lockheed Martin, umthengisi wezikhali omkhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni. Ngo-2016, ukuthengiswa kwezikhali zika-Lockheed kwenyuka cishe amaphesenti angu-11 kuya $ 41 billion, futhi inkampani isisendleleni eya ekucebeni okukhulu nakakhulu ngenxa yokukhiqizwa kwayo kwe F-35 fighter jet. U-Lockheed waqala umsebenzi wokuthuthukisa indiza yempi ethuthuke kakhulu kwezobuchwepheshe ngeminyaka yawo-1980s futhi, kusukela ngo-2001, uhulumeni wase-US usechithe isikhathi esiningi. $ 100 billion ukukhiqizwa kwayo. Namuhla, izilinganiso zabahlaziyi bezempi mayelana nenani eliphelele labakhokhintela le-2,440 F-35s elifiswa izikhulu zePentagon lisukela $ 1 isigidintathu kuya $ 1.5 isigidintathu, okwenza uhlelo lokuthenga olubiza kakhulu emlandweni wase-US.
Abathandi be-F-35 ziye zathethelela izindleko ezinkulu zendiza yezempi ngokugcizelela amandla ayo aqagelwayo okususa ngokushesha futhi ihlale iqonde phezulu, kanye nokuzivumelanisa nezimo ukuze isetshenziswe amagatsha amathathu ahlukene ezempi yase-US. Futhi ukuthandwa kwayo kungase futhi kubonise ukucabanga kwabo kokuthi amandla ayo okubhubhisa azobasiza banqobe izimpi ezizayo ngokumelene neRussia neChina. "Ngeke sikwazi ukungena kulezo zindiza ngokushesha ngokwanele," uLieutenant General Jon Davis, isikhulu sezindiza zeMarine Corps, etshela ikomidi elincane le-House Armed Services ekuqaleni kuka-2017. "Sinomuntu oshintsha umdlalo, ophumelele empini, ezandleni zethu. ”
Noma kunjalo, ochwepheshe bezindiza phawula ukuthi i-F-35 isaqhubeka nokuba nezinkinga ezinzima zesakhiwo kanye nokuthi uhlelo lwayo lomyalo wekhompyutha yobuchwepheshe obuphezulu isengozini yokuhlaselwa yi-cyberattack. “Le ndiza kusamele ihanjwe ngaphambi kokuba ilungele ukulwa,” kuphawula umhlaziyi wezempi e-Project on Government Oversight. “Uma kubhekwa ukuthi isinesikhathi esingakanani ithuthukiswa, kufanele uzibuze ukuthi izoke ilunge yini.”
Ethuswe izindleko ezimangalisayo zephrojekthi ye-F-35, Donald Trump ekuqaleni walihleka usulu leli bhizinisi ngokuthi “alisalawuleki.” Kodwa, ngemva kokuhlangana nezikhulu zePentagon kanye ne-CEO ye-Lockheed u-Marilynn Hewson, umongameli omusha wahlehlisa isifundo, wancoma "indiza enhle" ye-F-35 "njengendiza enkulu" futhi egunyaza inkontileka yezigidigidi zamadola kwabanye abangu-90 babo.
Uma sibheka emuva, akukho kulokhu okumangazayo ngokuphelele. Phela, abanye osonkontileka abakhulu bezempi-ngokwesibonelo, iJalimane lamaNazi I-Krupp futhi IG Farben kanye neJapan yamaFascist I-Mitsubishi ne-Sumitomo ―waphumelela kakhulu ngokuhlomisa izizwe zawo ngeMpi Yezwe II futhi aqhubeka echuma ngemiphumela yayo. Inqobo nje uma abantu begcina ukholo lwabo enanini eliphakeme lamandla ezempi, kungenzeka futhi silindele u-Lockheed Martin nabanye “abathengisi bokufa” ukuthi baqhubeke nokuhlomula ngempi ngezindleko zomphakathi.
ULawrence Wittner (http://www.lawrenceswittner.com) unguSolwazi Womlando ophumayo e-SUNY/Albany kanye nombhali we Ukubhekana neBhomu (I-Stanford University Press).
