Iingxaki Zocalucalulo

“KUSENOKWENZEKA UKUBA BONKE ABANTU BAFANELE BALINGANE, KODWA AKUKHO GUNYA EMHLABENI ELINOKWENZA UKUBA BONKE ABANTU BABE NJALO NGOKWENENE.”

Watsho njalo uHonoré de Balzac, umbhali wamabali ongumFrentshi wenkulungwane ye-19. Ngaba uyavumelana naye? Ngokwemvelo abaninzi bavakalelwa kukuba ucalucalulo alufanelekanga. Sekunjalo, kwanakule nkulungwane yama-21, ibutho labantu lisenocalucalulo.

UCALVIN COOLIDGE, owayengumongameli waseUnited States ukususela ngowe-1923 ukusa kowe-1929, wayekhathazwa ziingxaki zocalucalulo waza wathetha “ngokukuphelisa ukuba abanye abantu babe kumgangatho ophezulu.” Sekunjalo, kwiminyaka enokuba ngama-40 emva kokulawula kukaCoolidge, iKerner Commission, eyamiselwa ukuba ihlolisise ulwalamano lweentlanga, yachaza uloyiko lokuba ngokungaphephekiyo iUnited States iya kuba neentlobo ezimbini zebutho labantu: “elimnyama nelimhlophe—ezahlukeneyo nezingalinganiyo.” Bambi bathi oku sekwenzekile yaye “umsantsa wezoqoqosho nowobuhlanga uyakhula” kwelo lizwe.

Kutheni kunzima kangaka ukubenza abantu balingane? Uthunywashe ongundoqo yindlela abantu abayiyo. Ngenye imini owayesakuba lilungu lendlu yowiso-mthetho yaseUnited States uWilliam Randolph Hearst wathi: “Bonke abantu badalwe belingana ubuncinane kwinkalo enye, yaye loo nkalo kukufuna ukungalingani.” Wayethetha ukuthini lo mfo? Mhlawumbi umbhali wemidlalo yeqonga ongumFrentshi wenkulungwane ye-19 uHenry Becque wayibeka ngokucacileyo le nto esithi: “Into eyenza ukuba ukulingana kube yinto ekunzima ukuyifikelela kukuba sifuna ukulingana nabo bakumgangatho ophezulu kunathi.” Ngamanye amazwi, abantu bafuna ukulingana nabo bakumgangatho ophezulu kunabo kwibutho labantu; kodwa ababaninzi kangako abakulungeleyo ukuthoba umgangatho wabo wokuphila ukuze balingane nabo babagqala bekumgangatho ongaphantsi kowabo.

Kumaxesha adluleyo, abantu babezalwa bengabantu nje abaqhelekileyo, bengabantwana begazi, okanye bengamalungu asebukhosini. Oku kusenjalo kwiindawo eziliqela. Noko ke, kumazwe amaninzi namhlanje, yimali—okanye kukungabi nayo—okuxelayo enoba umntu othile ukumgangatho ophantsi, ophakathi okanye ophezulu. Sekunjalo, bakho nabanye oothunywashe abamisela umgangatho womntu, njengohlanga, imfundo nokukwazi ukulesa nokufunda. Yaye kwezinye iindawo, isini singoyena ndoqo wocalucalulo, amabhinqa ajongelwa phantsi.

Ngaba Likho Ithemba?

Umthetho wamalungelo abantu uye wanceda ukuphelisa ezinye iindlela zocalucalulo. Imithetho echasene nokucalucalulwa kwabantu yamkelwa eUnited States. Ucalucalulo lwapheliswa eMzantsi Afrika. Ubukhoboka, nangona busekho, abukho mthethweni phantse ehlabathini lonke. Izigqibo ezenziwe kwiinkundla zomthetho ziye zakwamkela ukuba abantu bomthonyama babe namalungelo omhlaba, yaye imithetho echasene nocalucalulo iye yanceda abathile abakumgangatho ophantsi.

Ngaba oku kubonisa ukuba ucalucalulo luphelile? Akunjalo. Nangona iintlobo ezithile zocalucalulo kusenokwenzeka ukuba ngoku azisenamandla, kuye kwaqalisa ukuvela iindlela ezintsha zocalucalulo. Incwadi ethi Class Warfare in the Information Age ithi: “Kubonakala kuyinto engafanelekanga namhlanje ukucalucalula abantu njengabaqeshi nabasebenzi, kodwa kunjalo ngenxa yokuba ezi ndidi zabantu ziye zaqhekeka zangamaqela amancinane abantu abanomsindo.”

Ngaba ucalucalulo luya kuhlala lusahlula abantu ngonaphakade? Kaloku, njengokuba inqaku elilandelayo libonisa, oku akuthethi ukuba aphelil’ amathemba.