Uma kuziwa empini, umphakathi waseMelika uhamba ngokuphawulekayo.

Izimpendulo zabantu baseMelika ezimpini zase-Iraq nase-Afghanistan zinikeza izibonelo ezinhle. Ngo-2003, ngokusho kuka imibono, Amaphesenti angama-72 amaMelika acabanga ukuthi ukuya empini e-Iraq kwakuyisinqumo esifanele. Ekuqaleni kuka-2013, ukwesekwa kwalesi sinqumo kwehle kwaba ngamaphesenti angama-41. Ngokufanayo, ngo-Okthoba 2001, lapho impi yamasosha aseMelika iqala e-Afghanistan, yasekelwa ngu 90 amaphesenti yomphakathi waseMelika. NgoDisemba 2013, ukuvunywa komphakathi ngempi yase-Afghanistan kwehle kwaba kuphela 17 amaphesenti.

Eqinisweni, lokhu kwehla kokusekelwa komphakathi ezimpini ezake zathandwa yinto yesikhathi eside. Yize iMpi Yezwe I yandulela ukuvotelwa kwemibono yomphakathi, izingqapheli zabika umdlandla omkhulu wokungena kwe-US kuleyo mpi ngo-Ephreli 1917. Kepha, ngemuva kwempi, intshiseko yaphela. Ngo-1937, lapho abavukuzi bebuza abaseMelika ukuthi ngabe i-United States kufanele yini ibambe iqhaza kwenye impi efana neMpi Yezwe, 95 amaphesenti wabaphendula bathi "Cha."

Futhi yahamba kanjalo. Lapho uMongameli uTruman ethumela amasosha ase-US eKorea ngoJuni 1950, 78 amaphesenti KwabaseMelika abavotelwe baveza ukuvuma kwabo. NgoFebhuwari 1952, ngokwezivivinyo, amaphesenti ama-50 aseMelika akholelwa ukuthi ukungena kweMelika eMpini yaseKorea bekuyiphutha. Isimo esifanayo senzeka ngokuhlobene neMpi yaseVietnam. Ngo-Agasti 1965, lapho abaseMelika bebuzwa ukuthi uhulumeni wase-US wenze “iphutha yini ngokuthumela amasosha ayolwa eVietnam,” 61 amaphesenti kubo bathi "Cha." Kodwa ngo-Agasti 1968, ukusekelwa kwempi kwase kwehle kwaba ngamaphesenti angama-35, kwathi ngoMeyi 1971 kwase kwehle kwaba ngamaphesenti angama-28.

Kuzo zonke izimpi zaseMelika kule minyaka eyikhulu edlule, yimpi yesibili yomhlaba kuphela eye yagcina ukuvunyelwa ngumphakathi. Futhi le kwakuyimpi engajwayelekile kakhulu - eyodwa ehilela ukuhlaselwa kwamasosha okucekela phansi emhlabathini waseMelika, izitha ezinonya ezazizimisele ukunqoba nokugqilaza umhlaba, nokunqoba okuphelele.

Cishe kuzo zonke izimo, noma kunjalo, abaseMelika baphendukela ezimpini ababekade bezisekela. Umuntu angayichaza kanjani le ndlela yokudideka?

Isizathu esikhulu sibonakala njengezindleko ezinkulu zempi - ezimpilweni nasezinsizakalweni. Ngesikhathi sezimpi zaseKorea naseVietnam, lapho izikhwama zomzimba kanye nama-veteran akhubazekile beqala ukubuyela e-United States ngobuningi, ukwesekwa komphakathi ezimpini kwehla kakhulu. Yize izimpi zase-Afghanistan nase-Iraq zikhiqize ukulimala okumbalwa kwabantu baseMelika, izindleko zezomnotho bezilikhulu kakhulu. Izifundo ezimbili zakamuva zezazi ziqikelele ukuthi lezi zimpi ezimbili ekugcineni zizobiza abakhokhi bentela baseMelika kusuka $ 4 trillion kuya ku-$ 6 trillion. Ngenxa yalokhu, iningi lokusetshenziswa kwemali nguhulumeni wase-US akusayi kwezemfundo, ukunakekelwa kwezempilo, amapaki, nengqalasizinda, kepha ukukhokhela izindleko zempi. Akumangalisi ukuthi abantu abaningi baseMelika sebephenduke baba muncu kulezi zingxabano.

Kodwa uma umthwalo osindayo wezimpi uye wadumaza abantu baseMelika abaningi, kungani bathambekele kalula ekusekeleni abasha?

Isizathu esiyinhloko sibonakala ukuthi lezo zinhlangano ezinamandla, ezibumba imibono - imithombo yezokuxhumana ngobuningi, uhulumeni, amaqembu ezepolitiki, ngisho nemfundo - zilawulwa, cishe noma ngaphansi, yilokho uMongameli u-Eisenhower akubiza ngokuthi “isakhiwo sezimboni zamasosha.” Futhi, ekuqaleni kwengxabano, lezi zikhungo zivame ukuba namandla okuhlaba umkhosi amafulegi, amaqembu adlalayo, nezixuku ezihalalisela impi.

Kepha futhi kuyiqiniso ukuthi umphakathi omkhulu waseMelika uyakhohliseka kalula futhi, ekuqaleni, ukulungele ukuhlangana uzungeze ifulege. Impela, abantu abaningi baseMelika banobuzwe kakhulu futhi banxenxa nezikhalazo zokushisekela izwe. Isisekelo sezinkulumo zezombusazwe zase-US yisimangalo esingcwele sokuthi iMelika "iyisizwe esikhulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni" - umgqugquzeli owusizo kakhulu wezempi zase-US ezilwa namanye amazwe. Futhi lobu buthi obunamakhanda bukhishwa ngenhlonipho enkulu ngezibhamu namasosha ase-US. (“Ake sizwe ihlombe lamaQhawe ethu!”)

Vele, kunesifunda esibalulekile sokuthula saseMelika, esesungule izinhlangano zesikhathi eside zokuthula, ezibandakanya i-Peace Action, Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, namanye amaqembu alwa nempi. Lesi sifundazwe sokuthula, esivame ukuqhutshwa yizimiso zokuziphatha nezepolitiki, sinikeza amandla aphambili ekuphikiseni izimpi zase-US zisanda kuqala. Kepha kulinganiswa ngabathandi bezempi abaqinile, abakulungele ukushaya ihlombe izimpi eziya eMelika lokugcina elisindile. Amandla agudlukayo ngombono womphakathi wase-US inani elikhulu labantu abaqoqa ifulege ekuqaleni kwempi bese kuthi, kancane kancane, bakhathale ngxabano.

Ngakho-ke kulandela inqubo yokujikeleza. UBenjamin Franklin wayibona ekuqaleni kwekhulu leshumi nesishiyagalombili, lapho ebhalela inkondlo emfushane  I-Pocket Almanack Yonyaka 1744:

Impi iyazala Ubumpofu,

Ukuthula Kompofu;

Ukuthula kwenza ukuPhuma kugele,

(Kuzophela ukuphela kwesikhathi.)

Ingcebo iveza ukuziqhenya,

Ukuziqhenya yiGround War;

Impi izala ubumpofu & c.

Izwe liyahamba.

Ngokuqinisekile bekuyoba nokuphazanyiswa okuncane, kanye nokugcinwa okukhulu kwezimpilo nezinsiza, uma abantu abaningi baseMelika bebona izindleko ezimbi zempi ngaphambi baphuthuma ukuyanga. Kepha ukuqonda okucacile ngempi nemiphumela yayo mhlawumbe kuzodingeka ukukholisa abaseMelika ukuthi baphume kulo mjikelezo ababonakala bebhajwe kuwo.

ULawrence Wittner (http://lawrenceswittner.comnguProfesa Wezomlando ophuma eSUNY / Albany. Incwadi yakhe yakamuva iyinoveli ehlekisayo mayelana nokuhlanganiswa kwamanyuvesi, Yini eqhubekayo ku-UAardvark?