Ingabe Kufanele Sondle Izingane Ezilambile, Noma Umshini Wempi?

Ngu-Medea Benjamin, Septhemba 4, 2019

Kusukela I-OpenDemocracy

Ngomhla zingama-21 kuNcwaba, uMxhumanisi Wosizo Lwabantu eYemen, uLise Grande, ukhiphe i- ikhalori edabukisayoukuze izizwe zenze kahle izithembiso zazo zokuthumela usizo lokusiza imindeni entulayo e-Yemen ekhungethwe yimpi. Ngaphandle kwalapho izimali ezithenjisiwe zitholwa ngokushesha, uxwayise ngokuthi, ukudla kwabantu abayizigidi ezingu-12 kuzoncishiswa futhi okungenani izingane ezingondlekile eziyizigidi ezingu-2.5 zizonqanyulwa ezinsizeni ezizigcina ziphila. “Uma imali ingafiki,” kusho uGrande ngokungananazi, “abantu bayafa.”

Isamba sesikhalo se-UN siyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezine zamaRandi. Ngenkathi lokhu kuyi- isikhalo esikhulu kunazo zonke sezwe I-UN ike yakhipha, wonke umthethosivivinywa umele izinsuku ezimbili kuphela zesabelomali sezempi sase-US sika-2019 esicishe sibe ngamabhiliyoni angama-700. Ukuntula ukuphana, aba I-US enikeziwe amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-300 nje—ngaphansi kwamahora amane okusetshenziswa kwe-Pentagon. Khonamanjalo, izinkampani zaseMelika zithola izigidigidi zamaRandi ezidayisela izikhali eSaudi Arabia okuyingxenye enkulu ebangela le nkinga yobuntu.

Umehluko omkhulu phakathi kwemali yokondla abantu nemali yokuhlomisa amasosha kubonakala lapha ekhaya. Ngo-2018, uhulumeni wobumbano wasebenzisa amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingama-68 kuHlelo Lokulekelela Ukudla Okunempilo (SNAP), oluhlinzeka ngokudla abantu abayizigidi ezingu-40. Kungathatha izinsuku eziyishumi kuphela zesabelomali sePentagon ukumboza lelo thebhu, kodwa laba baphathi bathi kubiza kakhulu futhi bazama ukukwenza. ukusika ukufaneleka ukudla kwabampofu.

Kuthiwani uma, esikhundleni sokungenelela kwezempi, i-US inqume ukulwa nobumpofu bomhlaba wonke?

UJeffrey Sachs waseColumbia University, ongomunye wongoti abahamba phambili emhlabeni kwezokuthuthukiswa komnotho, ulinganise ukuthi izindleko zokuqeda ubumpofu emhlabeni zingamaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-195 ngonyaka. Ngesabelomali esizayo sezempi sika-2020 esihlongozwayo kuma-dollar ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingama-750, i-US ingaphakela abalambile emhlabeni futhi isasebenzisa imali ephindwe kabili kwezempi yayo kunenombolo yesibili echitha imali: i-China. Izophinde ifeze izimfuno zethu zezwe. Ukondla abampofu ngokuqinisekile kungasizuzela abangani abaningi emhlabeni wonke kunokuthumela enye inkampani yezindiza.

Uma sinquma ukuthi kungcono sigxile kwezemfundo, ingxenye yesabelomali sethu sezempi ingase ixhase ngezimali Uhlelo lweKholeji Yabo Bonke okuhlongozwe uSenator Bernie Sanders, okuzoqeda isikweletu semalimboleko yabafundi futhi kwenze wonke amakolishi omphakathi namanyuvesi akhokhelwe u-$47 billion ngonyaka. Eqinisweni, singasebenzisa lolu hlelo izikhathi ezingu-14 kwisabelomali sezempi salo nyaka kuphela. Naphezu kwaleli qiniso, njengoba abakhiqizi bezikhali bethola izigidigidi zama-handouts nezinkontileka namasosha ase-US, ezinye zalezo zikhungo zemfundo ezifanayo zilahlekelwa isabelomali sikahulumeni batshala izimali zabo emuva kubakhiqizi bezikhali ukunxenxa imali yomphakathi ibheke empini.

Umkhuba wokusebenzisa imali kwezempi ukwedlula izindleko zezinhlelo zethu zokuxhumana ezifisa kakhulu uyaqhubeka cishe ngazo zonke izizathu ongazisho. Singase hlala wonke umuntu ongenakhaya ezweni, ukunikeza uMnyango wezokuThutha isabelomali esiphindwe kayisishiyagalolunye kunesamanje, noma wandise kakhulu izinhlelo ezifana ne-Medicare ne-Medicaid. Idola ngalinye lemali yomphakathi eliyoxhasa ngezimali impi yase-US phesheya iyidola elingase lilwe nendlala, ukungabi namakhaya, noma ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu.

Izikhulu zethu ezikhethiwe zikhethe ukubeka phambili ukuphishekela amandla ezempi ngaphezu kwenhlalakahle yabantu bakithi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, baphatha ukusetshenziswa kwezempi njengento engenakugwenywa kuyilapho izinhlelo ezingase zithuthukise izimpilo zabafundi esikweletini semfundo esikhubazekile noma abagulayo esikweletini sezokwelapha esikhubazekile zivezwa njengokunethezeka. Ama-Advocates for Medicare for All kanye ne-Green New Deal kumele bahlale bethethelela amathegi abo amanani aphezulu okusindisa izimpilo kanye neplanethi yethu, kuyilapho amasosha ethola isheke elikhula njalo lokuwacekela phansi.

E-1953, uMongameli Dwight D. Eisenhower wakhipha a inkulumo ejulile mayelana nokuchithwa kwemali okudabukisayo ezikhalini. “Zonke izibhamu ezenziwayo, yonke imikhumbi yempi eqhunyiswayo, wonke amarokhethi adubulayo asho, ekugcineni, ukwebiwa kwalabo abalambile nabangondliwa, labo ababandayo nabangagqokile. Lo mhlaba wezikhali awuchithi imali wodwa. Ichitha izithukuthuku zezisebenzi zayo, ubuhlakani bososayensi bayo, amathemba ezingane zayo.”

Njengoba esezoshiya isikhundla ngo-1961, wa ikhishwe isixwayiso ngokumelene “nokutholwa kwethonya elingagunyaziwe, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi liyafunwa noma lingafunwa, yinhlangano yezimboni zamasosha.” Namuhla leyo nkimbinkimbi ivame ukubizwa ngokuthi inxanxathela yezokuphepha kwezimboni, noma nje isimo sezokuphepha kazwelonke. Ukuze uqonde ubukhulu bokufinyelela kwayo, kufanele uqale nge $ 750 billion ehlongozwayo nge-Pentagon ka-2020 nemisebenzi ehlobene nempi futhi wengeze imali yezikhali zenuzi, ama-veteran, ezokuphepha kwezwe, ezobunhloli kanye nesabelo sezempi sesikweletu sikazwelonke. Isamba sifika ku-$1.25 trillion engamanyala.

USenator uBernie Sanders, ephikisana nalokhu kuchithwa kwezimali endaweni inkulumo eJohns Hopkins, yacela abantu ukuba basukume bathi: “Kunendlela engcono yokusebenzisa ingcebo yethu.” USanders, kanye no-Elizabeth Warren, baveze izinhlelo zombono zokulungisa ukunakekelwa kwezempilo, imfundo, ingqalasizinda kanye neplanethi yethu egulayo, kodwa abakahlongozeli ukuguqulwa okugcwele kwezindleko zethu zezempi. Okuwukuphela kwendlela esizobona ngayo ukuguqukela emhlabeni onobulungiswa futhi esimeme ukuthi sishintsha indlela esisebenzisa ngayo - noma simoshe - ingcebo yesizwe sethu.