Kungani i-US Ilimaza Kakhulu Kokubili Ku-COVID-19?

NguNicolas JS Davies, Mashi 27, 2020

Izwe laseMelika seliphenduke laba isikhungo esisha ubhadane lomhlaba wonke lwe-coronavirus, olunamacala angaphezu kwama-80,000, angaphezu kweChina noma i-Italy. Bangaphezu kwenkulungwane abantu baseMelika asebevele bafa, kepha lokhu kungukuqala nje kwalokhu kushayisana okubulalayo phakathi kweMelika enganele ezempilo uhlelo kanye nobhubhane lwangempela.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iChina neSouth Korea, zombili ezinezinhlelo zezempilo zomphakathi jikelele ezibandakanya iningi lezidingo zabantu bazo, sezivele zashintsha i-Covid-19 ngokusebenzisa izihlukanisi ezihlosiwe, ukugqugquzela izinsizakusebenza zezempilo zomphakathi nezinhlelo zokuhlola ezisheshayo futhi kuhlolwe kahle wonke umuntu okungenzeka ukuthi uhlangane naleli gciwane. China wathumela 40,000 odokotela nabasebenzi bezokwelapha, kufaka phakathi ochwepheshe bezokuphefumula abayi-10,000, esifundazweni saseHubei ngenyanga yokuqala noma ezimbili zalo bhubhane. Manje isinyukele ezinsukwini ezi-3 zilandelana ngaphandle kwamacala amasha futhi isiqala ukuphakamisa imikhawulo yezenhlalo. INingizimu Korea yahlola ngokushesha 300,000 abantu, futhi bangu-139 kuphela abantu bayo abashonile. 

IBruce Aylward ye-WHO yavakashela iChina ngasekupheleni kukaFebhuwari, futhi kubika, "Ngicabanga ukuthi ukufunda okuyisihluthulelo okuvela e-China kuyisivinini… Uma ushesha ukuthola amacala, uhlukanisa amacala, futhi ulandelele oxhumana nabo abaseduze, uzophumelela ngokwengeziwe… E-China, basungule inethiwekhi enkulu yomkhuhlane izibhedlela. Kwezinye izindawo, iqembu lingaya kuwe likuswibe bese likutholela impendulo emahoreni amane kuya kwayisikhombisa. Kodwa kumele umiswe - isivinini siyikho konke. ”

Abaphenyi e-Italy bakuqinisekisile ukuthi lokho kuze kube 3 ngaphandle kwe-4 Amacala e-Covid-19 awanasifo futhi awatholakali ngokuhlola abantu abanezimpawu kuphela. Ngemuva kochungechunge lwezinyathelo ezingezinhle ezibulalayo, i-US, eyayinayo icala lokuqala ngoJanuwari 20, usuku olufanayo neSouth Korea, sekunezinyanga ezingaphezulu kwezimbili kuphela seluqale ukuhlolwa okusabalele, lapho sesivele sinamacala amaningi kanye nenani lokufa eliphakeme kunawo wonke le-6 emhlabeni. Ngisho namanje, i-US ikhawulela kuphela ukuhlolwa kwabantu abanezimpawu, ingenzi ukuhlolwa okubhekiswe koxhumana nabo abasha ababephumelela eChina. Lokhu kuqinisekisa ukuthi uma kungenjalo abathwali abanempilo, abane-asymptomatic bazosabalalisa igciwane ngokungazi futhi baqhubeke nokukhulisa ukukhula kwalo okubonakalayo.

Ngakho-ke kungani i-United States ingakwazi ngokukhethekile ukubhekana nalolu bhubhane ngendlela efanelekile nangempumelelo njenge China, South Korea, Germany noma amanye amazwe? Ukuntuleka kohlelo lukazwelonke, oluxhaswa nguhulumeni jikelele kuyinkinga enkulu. Kepha ukungakwazi kwethu ukusungula into eyodwa uqobo kungumphumela wezinye izinto ezingasebenzi emphakathini waseMelika, kufaka phakathi inkohlakalo yohlelo lwethu lwezepolitiki ngezintshisekelo ezinamandla zezentengiselwano nezezigaba kanye "nobungqayizivele" baseMelika obusenza singakuboni lokho esingakufunda kwamanye amazwe . 

Futhi, ukusebenza kwamasosha omqondo waseMelika kubacasulile abantu baseMelika ngemiqondo eqinile yezempi yokuthi “ukuzivikela” kanye “nokuvikeleka,” kuphendukezela izimali zikahulumeni eziza kuqala ngenhloso yempi kanye nempi ngokulimaza zonke izidingo zezwe lethu ezibalulekile, kubandakanya nempilo yabantu baseMelika.

Kungani singevele siqhume leli gciwane?

Impela lo mbuzo uyahlekisa. Kepha yile ndlela abaholi base-US abaphendula ngayo yonke ingozi esibhekene nayo, nokuphambukiswa okukhulu kwezinsizakusebenza zethu zikazwelonke kuya enkampanini yezempi-yezimboni (MIC) eshiya leli zwe elinothile ngendlala yezinsiza zokubhekana nezinkinga abaholi bethu abakwazi ukuzenza ukuxazulula ngazo izikhali nempi. Ngokuya ngalokho okubalwa njengokusebenzisa imali “kwezokuvikela”, kubalwa lokho kuze kufike kokuthathu yokuchitha imali federal. Ngisho namanje, isicelo sebheyili seBoeing, i- 2nd ngobukhulu Umenzi wezikhali wase-US, ubaluleke kakhulu kuMnu uTrump nakwabaningi kwiCongress kunokusiza imindeni yaseMelika ukuthola le nkinga.

Ekupheleni kweMpi Yomshoshaphansi ngo-1989, izikhulu eziphezulu zatshela iSenate Budget Committee ukuthi isabelomali sezempi sase-US singaba siphephile uthathe yi-50% eminyakeni eyishumi ezayo. Usihlalo wekomidi uJim Sasser usincomile lesi sikhathi ngokuthi "kuwukuqala kwamandla ezomnotho wasekhaya." Kepha ngo-2000, ithonya lezakhiwo zezimboni zamasosha lase linciphise “isabelo sokuthula” saba ngu- a kuphela I-22% ukunciphisa ekusetshenzisweni kwezempi kusukela ngo-1990 (ngemuva kokushintshwa kwezindleko zokunyuka kwamandla emali). 

Kwathi ngo-2001, abezempi nabezimboni bathatha kulobu bugebengu bekhulu elisha yizi-19 izinsizwa zase-Saudi Arabia ezihlome kuphela ngabasiki bamabhokisi ukwethula izimpi ezintsha kanye ebiza kakhulu Ukwakhiwa kwamasosha ase-US kusukela ngeMpi Yesibili Yomhlaba. Njengomshushisi wamacala wempi waseNuremberg uBenjamin Ferencz kusho ngaleso sikhathi, lokhu bekungeyona impendulo esemthethweni emacaleni oSepthemba 11. "Akukaze kube yimpendulo esemthethweni ukujezisa abantu abangenacala ngenxa yobubi obenziwe," kusho uFerencz etshela iNPR. "Uma umane uziphindiselela ngobuningi ngokuqhuma amabhomu e-Afghanistan, ake sithi, noma iTaliban, uzobulala abantu abaningi abangahambisani nalokho okwenzekile."  

Ngaphandle kokwehluleka okukhulu, ukwehluleka kwegazi kwalokho okubizwa nge- “Global War on Terror,” ukwakhiwa kwamasosha okungosomathuba kwakusebenzisa ukuthethelela kusanqoba zonke izimpi zesabelomali eWashington. Ngemuva kokulungisa ukwehla kwamandla emali, i- 2020 isabelomali samasosha ase-US liphakeme ngama-59% kunangonyaka ka-2000, kanti ama-23% ephakeme kunangaphambili ngo-1990. 

Eminyakeni engu-20 edlule (ngamadola angama-2020), i-US yabele $ 4.7 isigidintathu ngaphezulu kwePentagon kunokuthi ngabe ibivele igcine isabelomali sayo ezingeni elifanayo kusukela ngo-2000. Ngisho naphakathi kuka-1998 no-2010, njengoba uCarl Conetta abhala iphepha lakhe, Isivikelo Esingacwasi: Ukuqonda i- $ 2 Trillion Surge in US Defense Spelling, imali yangempela yokulwa yayifaniswa nedola ledola ngokusetshenziswa kwemali okungahlobene nomkhosi, iningi lenyusa imali yokuthenga ukuthola kanye nokuthenga kakhulu izindiza ezintsha ezibizayo ezempi, izindiza ezinesabelomali ezincengela isabelomali njenge Umshayeli we-F-35 Okombutho Wezempi, kanye nohlu lwezifiso zezikhali ezintsha nemishini yawo wonke amagatsha ezempi. 

Kusukela ngonyaka ka-2010, lokhu kuhlukahluka okungakaze kubonwe kwezinsizakusebenza zethu kuzwelonke nakwezokwakha ezezimboni sekudlulisele nokusebenzisa imali yangempela kwempi. U-Obama uchithe ngaphezulu kwezempi kunoBush, manje uTrump usebenzisa imali ethe xaxa. Ngaphezu kwe- $ 4.7 trillion ekusetshenzisweni okungeziwe kwePentagon, izimpi zase-US kanye nempi kubiza $ 1.3 trillion ngaphezulu ye-Veterans Affairs kusukela ngo-2000 (nayo elungiswe ukwehla kwamandla emali), njengoba abaseMelika babuyela ekhaya bebuya ezimpini zaseMelika ezidinga amazinga okunakekelwa kwezempilo i-US engabanikeli ngayo abantu bayo. 

Yonke leyo mali ihambile manje, impela nje sengathi ibuthelwe ndawana thile e-Afghanistan futhi yashiswa ngabambalwa Amabhomu angama-80,000 i-US yehlile kulelo lizwe elimpofu kusukela ngo-2001. Ngakho-ke asinayo imali yokuyisebenzisa ezibhedlela zikahulumeni, kuma-ventilators, ekuqeqeshweni kwezokwelashwa, ezivivinyweni ze-Covid-19 noma kwezinye izinto esizidinga kakhulu kule nkinga engenampi yezempi.

I-US $ 6 trillion ichithwe ngokuphelele - noma okubi kakhulu. Impi yokwesaba ayizange yehlule noma iqede ubuphekula. Kubhebhethekisa kuphela ubudlova obungapheli nodlame emhlabeni jikelele. Umshini wezempi wase-US uqothule amazwe ngamazwe: i-Afghanistan, i-Iraq, iSomalia, iLibya, iSyria, i-Yemen - kepha ayikaze yakhe kabusha noma ilethe ukuthula kunoma yimuphi wabo. Khonamanjalo, iRussia neChina bakhele izivikelo eziphumelelayo zekhulu lama-21 kumaMelika umshini wempi ophelelwe isikhathi engxenyeni encane yezindleko zayo.

Njengoba amazwe emhlabeni wonke ebhekene nengozi eyejwayelekile yeCovid-19, mhlawumbe impendulo ebucayi kunazo zonke kube yisinqumo sikahulumeni wase-US sokubeka unswinyo oluningi e-Iran, elinye lamazwe asefayeke kakhulu, futhi esevele esancishwe imishanguzo esindisa impilo nezinye izinsiza ngenhlawulo ekhona yase-US. 

UNobhala-Jikelele we-UN u-Antonio Guterres ucele ukuthi ukuqeda umlilo ngokushesha kuyo yonke impi phakathi nalesi simo esibucayi, nokuthi i-US iyiphakamise unswinyo olubulalayo kubo bonke omakhelwane bethu emhlabeni jikelele. Lokho kufanele kufaka ne-Iran; E-North Korea; ISudan; ISiriya; EVenezuela; IZimbabwe; futhi kungagcini ngeCuba, edlala indima enesibindi futhi ekhuthele ekulweni nobhadane, ukutakula abagibeli yomkhumbi waseBrithani ongena gciwane owenqatshelwa ukungena yi-US nakwamanye amazwe, futhi ukuthumela amaqembu ezokwelapha e-Italy nakwamanye amazwe atheleleke emhlabeni jikelele.

Umnotho wekhulu lama-21

"I-command economy" kwakuyigama elihlekisayo elisetshenziselwa ukugxeka umnotho owawuhlelwe maphakathi neMpumalanga Yurophu phakathi neMpi Yomshoshaphansi. Kodwa isazi sezomnotho u-Eric Schutz wasebenzisa Umnotho wekhulu lama-21 njengesihlokwana sencwadi yakhe ka-2001 Amamaki namandla, lapho acubungula imiphumela yamandla emakethe amakhulu wezinhlangano zamazwe omhlaba eziningi emnothweni wase-US. 

Njengoba uSchutz echazile, inkolelo yezomnotho ye-neoliberal (noma ye-neoclassical) iyayishaya indiva into ebaluleke kakhulu ezimakethe “zamahhala” isizukulwane sabaseMelika esifundiswe ukusihlonipha. Lesi sici esinganakiwe sithi amandla. Njengoba izici eziningi ngokwengeziwe zempilo yaseMelika ziphathiswe “isandla esingabonakali” semakethe, abadlali abanamandla kunabo bonke ezimakethe bakhululekile ukusebenzisa amandla abo emakethe ukugxila engcebweni nakwezamandla amakhulu emakethe ngokwabo (akunjalo kungabonakali ) izandla, ukuxosha izimbangi ezincane ebhizinisini nokuxhaphaza abanye ababambiqhaza: amakhasimende; abasebenzi; abahlinzeki; ohulumeni; kanye nemiphakathi yasendaweni.

Kusukela ngo-1980, wonke mkhakha wezomnotho wase-US uthathe kancane kancane izinkampani ezimbalwa nezincane futhi ezinkulu, nomthelela obabazekayo empilweni yaseMelika: amathuba ambalwa amabhizinisi amancane; ukunciphisa ukuncipha kwengqalasizinda yomphakathi nezinsizakalo; inkokhelo eshwabeneyo noma eqinile; izintela ezikhuphukayo; ukwenziwa kwemfihlo kwezemfundo kanye nokunakekelwa kwezempilo; ukucekelwa phansi kwemiphakathi yasendaweni; nenkohlakalo ehlelekile yezepolitiki. Izinqumo ezibucayi ezithinta zonke izimpilo zethu manje zenziwa ngokuyikhokhisa kanye nangezinhloso zamabhange amakhulu, i-pharma enkulu, ubuchwepheshe obukhulu, izaguga ezinkulu, abathuthukisi abakhulu, impi yezimboni yezimboni kanye nomnotho ocebile ngo-1% wabantu baseMelika.

Umnyango odlubulundayo odla ubhedu lapho izikhulu eziphezulu zihamba phakathi kwamasosha, amafemu okuphekela, amabhodi ezinkampani, iCongress kanye negatsha elilawulayo kuyaphindwa kuwo wonke mkhakha wezomnotho. U-Liz Fowler, owabhala i- “Affordable Care Act” njengesisebenzi saseSenate naseWhite House, wayeyisikhulu esiphezulu e-Wellpoint Health (manje eyi-Anthem), okuyinkampani engumzali we-Blue Cross-Blue Shield, manje ethola izigidigidi zemixhaso kahulumeni ngaphansi komthetho wabhala. Ubuye wabuyela "embonini" njengesikhulu kwaJohnson & Johnson - njengoba noJames "Mad Dog" Mattis abuyela kweyakhe isihlalo ebhodini kwaGeneral Dynamics ukuvuna imivuzo "yomsebenzi wakhe womphakathi" njengoNobhala Wezokuvikela.

Noma yikuphi ukuxubana kobungxowaningi nobusoshiyali obuthathwa yiMelika ngayinye kungaba yisibonelo emnothweni wase-US, bambalwa kakhulu abantu baseMelika abazokhetha lo mkhuba wekhulu lama-21 owonakele ngomnotho njengohlelo abangalukhetha lokuhlala ngaphansi kwalo. Bangaki osopolitiki baseMelika abangalunqoba ukhetho uma betshele ngokweqiniso abavoti ukuthi lolu uhlelo abakholelwa kulo futhi abahlela ukuluthuthukisa?

Siphila emphakathini lapho wonke umuntu azi ukuthi isivumelwano sibolile, njengoLeonard Cohen iculo liyahamba, kepha nokho sihlala silahlekile ehholo lezibuko, izisulu zesu "lokuhlukanisa nokubusa" lapho abacebile nabanamandla okulawula ezombusazwe kanye nabezindaba kanye nayo yonke eminye imikhakha yaleli qoqo lezomnotho lekhulu lama-21. Abaholi bakaTrump, uBiden kanye neCongressal bamane nje bangabaphathi babo bamuva, badonsana ngamademoni futhi baxabana njengoba bona nabaphathi babo behleka baze bayofika ebhange.

Kunokungahambi kahle ngendlela iqembu iDemocratic Party elivale ngayo iBisen njengoba uCovid-19 avele endaweni yesehlakalo. Ngenyanga edlule, bekubonakala sengathi unyaka ka-2020 kungaba unyaka lapho abantu baseMelika ekugcineni bezoqothula intuthu kanye nezibuko ezisebenza kahle embonini yomshuwalense wezempilo wase-US futhi bathole ukunakekelwa kwezempilo okuxhaswe ngumphakathi. Esikhundleni salokho, abaholi beDemokhrasi babonakala bexazulula ububi obuncane bokunye ukuhlulwa okuhlazisayo neminye iminyaka emine kaTrump ngaphezulu (emiqondweni yabo) ingozi enkulu yobumongameli beSanders nokunakekelwa kwempilo kwendawo yonke. 

Kepha manje lo mphakathi ongasebenzi kahle usungenele amandla emvelo uqobo, igciwane elincane elingabulala izigidi zabantu. Amanye amazwe akhuphukela kulolu vivinyo oluqoqayo lwezindlela zabo zokunakekelwa kwempilo kanye nezinhlelo zezenhlalo ngempumelelo kakhulu kunathi. Ngakho-ke, ingabe ekugcineni sizovuka ephusheni lethu laseMelika, sivule amehlo ethu futhi siqale ukufunda komakhelwane bethu bakwamanye amazwe, kubandakanya nalawo anezinhlelo ezihlukile zezepolitiki, ezomnotho nezokunakekelwa kwempilo kunokwethu? Impilo zethu zingahle zincike kuzo.

UNicolas JS Davies ungumlobi we Igazi Ngezandla Zethu: Ukuhlasela KweMelika nokubhujiswa kwe-Iraq. Uyintatheli ezimele futhi ocwaninga nge-CODEPINK.