Ubumpofu Bezingane? Ubani Okhathalelayo!Ngokwezibalo zakamuva zikahulumeni waseBrithani, izingane eziyizigidi ezingu-3.6 ziphila ngobumpofu e-UK. Incazelo esemthethweni yokuthi โubumpofuโ isho imindeni ehola ngaphansi kwamaphesenti angama-60 emali engenayo eyisilinganiso.
Phakathi kuka-1979 no-2003, inani lezingane ezimpofu e-UK lenyuka lisuka koyedwa kwabayi-1, laya cishe koyedwa kwabayi-10. Lokhu kuyihlazo langempela noma iyiphi intatheli enomthwalo wemfanelo engayikhuluma njalo lapho ungqongqoshe kahulumeni eziqhayisa โngomnotho onempiloโ waseBrithani.
Umbiko onesihloko esithi 'Poverty in a land of inala', owashicilelwa ngasekuqaleni kwalo nyaka ngabakwa-End Child Poverty, umfelandawonye wamaqembu obulungiswa bezenhlalakahle, udalula usizi lokuthi: 'Ingane ezalwe ebuphofini [e-UK] inethuba eliphindwe kabili. ukufa onyakeni wokuqala njengengane ezalwa abazali abaphila kangcono futhi izimpilo ezingaba ngu-1,400 zingasindiswa uma ubumpofu buqedwa.โ ( www.ecpc.org.uk/publications.asp)
Ngo-April 2004, inhlangano ethi Shelter (www.shelter.org.uk) yethula umkhankaso omkhulu kunayo yonke emlandweni wayo okuhloswe ngawo ukuqeda umthelela omubi wenkinga yezindlu ezinganeni zaseBrithani. Lo mkhankaso waphawulwa ngokushicilelwa kwesihloko esithi 'Toying with their future', ukudalulwa okukhulu okuveza okokuqala ukuthi izingane ezingaphezu kwesigidi zikhulela ezindlini eziminyene, ezingafanelekile noma eziphuthumayo, nokuthi zihlushwa izinkinga zempilo ezimbi kakhulu, imfundo engeyinhle, kanye nekusasa elibi.
Umbiko uveza ukuthi ingane eyodwa kweziyishumi nambili eBrithani isethubeni elihle lokuba nezifo ezinjenge-bronchitis, isifo sofuba noma isifuba somoya ngenxa yokungabi nandawo yokuhlala. Izingane ezingenamakhaya nazo zilahlekelwa ingxenye yesine yemfundo yazo.
Impendulo evamile yabezindaba ekhululekile kulezi zinto ezesabekayo iwukubheka ngenye indlela, noma ukunanela inkulumo-ze kahulumeni yokuthi Umsebenzi 'ubhekana nokuswela' futhi ukhuphuka 'ukuhlasela okuhlangene ngobumpofu bezingane', njengoba uCharlotte Denny noLarry Elliott babhala ku-The Guardian. ('Umzabalazo wokulwa nobubha bezingane. Izisebenzi zibhekana nokuswela kodwa ukungalingani kuyanda', uCharlotte Denny noLarry Elliott, The Guardian, March 31, 2004)Kuso lesi sihloko se-Guardian, umfundi utshelwa ukuthi uhulumeni 'uhlulekile ukuvimbela igebe phakathi kwabacebile nabampofu eBrithani ukuba libe banzi kunalokho elaliyikho ngaphansi kwama-Conservatives'.
Inkulumo ethi โyehlulekile ukuvimbelaโ iyinkulumo evamile. Umbono wokuthi kungenzeka ukuthi izinqubomgomo zikahulumeni zibe nomthelela ekwenyukeni kokungalingani ushiywe ungahlolisiswa. Okuseduze kakhulu esikutholayo kuleli qiniso ukuphawula kwe-anodyne ukuthi โukungalingani kwakusephakeme ngo-2002 kunangesikhathi iLabour iqala ukubusa nakuba yehle kancane igebe lerekhodi elafinyelelwa ngo-2000.โ
Isibalo sezingane zaseBrithani eziyizigidi ezi-3.6 ezihluphekayo sibonisa ukwehla kwezi-200,000 ngonyaka odlule. Ngokusobala lokhu, kukodwa, kuyizindaba ezinhle.
Njengoba i-Joseph Rowntree Foundation ibonisa, uhulumeni wethule izinyathelo eziningi ezibe nomthelela omuhle, okuhlanganisa nenani elincane lamaholo likazwelonke, izikweletu zentela yemindeni esebenzayo kanye nezinguquko zeholo eliqondiswe ezinganeni (ezithathelwe indawo futhi zathuthukiswa isikweletu sentela yengane nentela yokusebenza. isikweletu), isiqinisekiso esincane semali engenayo yabahola impesheni (ishintshwe futhi yathuthukiswa yikhredithi yempesheni), kanye nezinkokhelo zikaphethiloli zasebusika. (www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/socialpolicy/043.asp) Abezindaba babike ukuthi izinhlangano ezisiza umphakathi eziningi nezinhlangano ezikhankaselayo, kanye nemindeni empofu ngokwayo, izishayele ihlombe lezi zinhlelo. Kodwa-ke, umbuzo obalulekile wokuthi indlela enjalo encane yezikweletu zentela kanye nezinkokhelo zesikhathi esisodwa akuyona yini into engaphezu โkwesimende esinamathelayoโ esixazululeni izinkinga ezijulile zezenhlalo, ezomnotho kanye nezombusazwe ushiywa ungabuzwanga. Okungcono kakhulu, inqubomgomo kahulumeni ifana nokunikeza ingane egulayo into ephefumulayo ukuze imsize ngesifuba somoya, kunokubhekana nezimbangela zokugula.
Okubi kakhulu, kuqhubekisela phambili uhlelo oludabukisayo noludabukisayo lokungalingani kwezenhlalo. Khonamanjalo, abezindaba abavamile bahlala bengenasithakazelo ekuhloleni ezinye izindlela - njenge-parecon - zokuhlela umphakathi ngezindlela ezingeke ziholele ebumpofu obukhona, ngokungafani ne-capitalism yezinkampani. Ngisho nangokwejwayelekile, kungenzeka ukuthi izinyathelo zikahulumeni zokunciphisa ubumpofu sezihambile.
Njengoba u-Jonathan Stearn, umqondisi we-End Child Poverty (ECP) ephawula: โUhulumeni uzibophezele ekuqedeni ubumpofu bezingane ngo-2020 futhi lezi zibalo zakamuva zibonisa ukuthi wenza inqubekelaphambili kancane. Kodwa futhi zikhombisa ubukhulu bomsebenzi oseza.โ (ECP press release, March 30, 2004, www.ecpc.org.uk)
Ngempela, i-ECP ixwayisa ngokuthi: โNgempela asiboni uHulumeni njengonomuzwa wokuthi umsebenzi uzoba nzima, futhi lokho kuyakhathaza.โ Iqembu elikhankasa lilinganisela ukuthi uHulumeni udinga ukutshala u-ยฃ6.8bn ezinsizeni uma kungukuthi umsebenzi uzokuba nzima. kuwukuvala igebe lemali engenayo. โLokho kuyathengeka,โ kusho umkhulumeli wesifazane.
'Kuyingxenye eyodwa kweshumi yenani lonyaka elichithwa ku-NHS kanye nengxenye yesithupha yaleyo esetshenziswe ekuvikelweni.' ('Ukuphila ngaphansi komugqa wobumpofu: 3.5m izingane', uMaxine Frith, Intatheli Yezindaba Zezenhlalakahle, The Independent, March 31 , 2004)
I-ajenda kahulumeni yangempela, ehambisana nezinkampaniEfihleke ngaphansi kokusakazwa kwezindaba ezijwayelekile nokuhlaziywa kuyiqiniso elingemnandi: ngaphandle kokukhetha okumbalwa, lo hulumeni Wezabasebenzi uye waphawuleka ngokugqugquzela okungaguquki kwezintshisakalo zebhizinisi ngaphezu kwamalungelo abantu, ubulungisa bezenhlalakahle, nokuvikelwa kwemvelo. Noma ngabe kusekhaya noma phesheya, izinqubomgomo zikahulumeni zivuna amandla ezinkampani ngezindleko zomphakathi - ngokwezwi nezwi. Incwadi kaGeorge Monbiot enhle kakhulu ethi, โCaptive Stateโ (Macmillan, London, 2001), ichaza ngenqwaba yezibonelo zenhlalakahle yabantu abacebile, kanye nobunxiwankulu kithina sonke: โintuthukoโ yedolobha ukuze kuzuze amabhizinisi azimele; ukududulwa kobuchwepheshe be-GM naphezu kokungabaza okukhulu komphakathi; ukunwetshwa kwesuphamakethe; i-Skye Road Bridge; ukukhuthazwa โkohwebo lwamahhalaโ; ukungena kwezinkampani zeNational Health Service kanye nesisekelo sesayensi yezwe.
Bese kuba nohwebo lwezikhali. Ngo-2002, ngokusekelwe emsebenzini onemininingwane we-Oxford Research Group kanye ne-Saferworld, i-Campaign Against the Arms Trade yalinganisela ukuthi umkhokhintela waseBrithani ukhokhela imboni โyokuvikelaโ isamba somxhaso saminyaka yonke se-ยฃ763 million. (http://www.caat.org.uk/information/publications/economics/subsidies-factsheet-0202.pdf)
Isakhamuzi saseBrithani asigcini nje ngokuxhasa ngezimali ukukhiqizwa kwezikhali ezibangela ukufa okubi kakhulu, ukulimala nosizi, kodwa sikhipha izimali zengcebo engase isetshenziselwe ukuqeda ubumpofu ekhaya.
UBlair uye wabonisa ngokungaguquki ukuthi uyasiqonda โisidingoโ sokusekela indima yeBrithani njengomthengisi wesibili omkhulu wezikhali emhlabeni. Amalungelo abantu mahle uma kukhulunywa ngezinkulumo ezinohlonze โzokusabalalisa inkululekoโ kanye nokuqhuba โimpi yokulwa namaphekulaโ, kodwa amalungelo abantu akufanele avunyelwe ukuphazamisa inzuzo yezinkampani โemhlabeni wangempelaโ. UJohn Kampfner, umhleli wezombangazwe weNew Statesman, uphawula ukuthi lapho uBlair ephikisa: โUkuphawula kwakhe ngokudayiswa kwezikhali namalungelo abantu akuzange kudlulele ngale kokuvamile.โ
(Kampfner, 'Blair's Wars', The Free Press, 2003, p.7)
Ngesikhathi esenguNdunankulu, uBlair uqinisekise ukuthi imboni yezikhali isikwazi ukufinyelela ezindaweni eziphezulu zikahulumeni kanye noxhaso oluphuma esikhwameni somphakathi. Kampfner futhi:
โKusukela osukwini lwakhe lokuqala ehhovisi uBlair wayemagange engafuni ukuphikisa izinkampani zezikhali zaseBrithani, ikakhulukazi i-BAE Systems, eyakha ubudlelwano obusondelene kakhulu nezikhulu eziphezulu ku-Downing Street. USihlalo wayo, u-Dick Evans, wayengomunye weqembu elincane kakhulu labantu bangaphandle abazicelo zabo zokubona uBlair zazihlale zivunywa.'(Kampfner, ibid, p.15)
Ngehlobo eledlule, njengoba ukungezwani phakathi kweNdiya nePakistan kunyuke ngendlela eyingozi, kwavezwa ukuthi uBlair kanye nongqongqoshe abaphezulu bakahulumeni bebesebenza njengabadayisi bezikhali abanolaka bemelela izimfuno zezinkampani zaseBrithani:
'Kulokho osekuphenduke indaba yokuceba kwefektri ye-BAE e-Brough, e-Humberside, lokhu kuzoba uhlelo lwesibili olukhulu koKlebe ngemuva kokuthi uHulumeni wase-UK ngeledlule uthembise ukusebenzisa u-ยฃ800mโฆ.. Lesi sivumelwano siza ngemuva kokunxenxa amaNgisi Uhulumeni, noNdunankulu u-Tony Blair, iPhini likaNdunankulu u-John Prescott, uNobhala Wezokuvikela u-Geoff Hoon kanye noNobhala Wezangaphandle u-Jack Straw beshintshana ngokunxenxa amaNdiya ukuthi athenge amajethi.' ('BAE to enjoy Indian summer with ยฃ1bn order for Hawk jets', Clayton Hirst, Independent ngeSonto, Agasti 3, 2003)
Cabanga nje ukuthi abezindaba abajwayelekile bekufanele benze umsebenzi wabo wasenganekwaneni โnjengefa lesineโ. Cabanga nje ukuthi abahleli nezintatheli abazange baluthathele phezulu udaba lwabo โlwezindaba zosukuโ kusukela esikhukhuleni esingapheli semibiko yezindaba evela eminyangweni kahulumeni, amahhovisi ezindaba ezinkampani kanye nezinhlangano zePR.
Cabanga nje ukuthi amaphephandaba nabasakazi empeleni bemba ngaphansi kwesithombe sikahulumeni ohloniphekile kanye nezinkampani ezizimele โezikhiqiza ingcebo,โ ukuze baveze izindleko zangempela - ngokwezemvelo nezomuntu - zezinqubomgomo zamanje. Uma ukubika okunjalo kwenziwa ngokungaguquki, ngokuphindaphindiwe nangendlela ehlelekile, umphakathi ubuyobona ngenganekwane ukuthi uhulumeni uzibophezele ekukhuthazeni amalungelo abantu kanye nokulwa nobubha nokungalingani, kungaba sekhaya naphesheya.
Nokho, njengoba izinto zimi, kufanele sigwinye inkohliso yokuthi abaholi bethu abanomusa bagqame esiteji somhlaba, balwela ikusasa lapho wonke umuntu ephila emphakathini okhululekile, wentando yeningi nalapho kungekho muntu olambile. Ngakho โsinemigomo yenkulungwane yeminyakaโ, njengokuhloswe ngayo ukunciphisa ubumpofu bezingane emhlabeni wonke ngesigamu ngo-2020. Ushansela we-Exchequer uGordon Brown usanda kuxwayisa, ngokunaka okufanele kwemithombo yezindaba:
'Uma sivumela izinto zishelele, imigomo yeminyaka eyinkulungwane izoba elinye nje iphupho esake saba nalo, futhi ngempela sizobe sihlezi kosofa bethu sikhanyise nama-TV ethu futhi, ngiyesaba, ukubuka abantu befa ezikrinini zethu kuze kube phakade. izimpilo zethu. Siyoba isizukulwane esakhaphela inhliziyo yaso.โ(โBrown: Sesineminyaka eyi-150 esizibekele khona ekulweni nobumpofu bomhlabaโ, uBen Russell noPhilip Thornton, The Independent, February 17, 2004)
Njengakuqala, kufanele siye enhlanganweni engekho ngaphansi kukahulumeni ukuze sithole isithombe esinembe kakhudlwana ngeqiniso eliyisisekelo esinjalo nezinkulumo zikahulumeni ezikhohlisayo nezidukisa ngokuphelele. I-World Development Movement (www.wdm.org.uk), ezinze eLondon, iveza ukuthi amazwe ampofu ayishumi kuphela kwangu-42 athole isikweleti esikhulu esikhanseliwe (kunokuba nje 'senze isithembiso'), esifinyelela ku-$26 wezigidigidi. isamba somthwalo wesikweletu esingu-$260bn.
Iningi lala mazwe ayishumi asale nemithwalo enzima futhi ekhulayo, ngoba ngisho nalapho sekuphothuliwe, i-Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) ayisusi ngokwanele isikweletu sawo. Ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi uma i-UN Millennium Development Goals izofezeka, kuyodingeka ukukhululeka kwezikweletu ngamaphesenti angu-100 kuwo wonke amazwe aneholo eliphansi.
I-WDM ixwayisa ngokuthi: 'Okubaluleke ngokufanayo ukuqinisekisa ukuthi noma yikuphi ukuncishiswa kwamaketango esikweletu akuhambisana nokubekwa kwamaketango asinda nakakhulu ngokwezimo zomnotho... Nokho, okwamanje usongo lokugodla isikweletu lusetshenziswa yi-IMF kanye ne-World. Ibhange ukuphoqa amazwe ampofu ukuthi asebenzise izinqubomgomo ezifanayo ezingagunyaziwe ezalimaza abampofu esikhathini esidlule nge-Structural Adjustment Programme.'
I-WDM iyaqhubeka: 'Manje sekubhalwe kahle, okuhlanganisa ne-IMF kanye neBhange Lomhlaba uqobo, ukuthi ukwethulwa Kwamaphepha Esu Lokunciphisa Ubumpofu (PRSPs) akukashintshi izinhlobo zezinqubomgomo zomnotho omkhulu ezibekwayo, yingakho zichazwe njenge 'iwayini elidala ezimvabeni ezintsha'.'
UGordon Brown angase akhulume ngothando olumangalisayo ngosizi lwabampofu. Kodwa-ke, izinqubomgomo yena - kanye, ngokujwayelekile, uhulumeni kaBlair - abaphishekela inani elingaphezu kwewayini elidala le-neo-colonialism kanye nenzuzo yebhizinisi ethelwa emabhodleleni amasha agqamile 'okwesulwa kwesikweletu', 'ukwenza izinto obala' kanye ' ukubusa ngentando yeningi'.
โIntando yeningiโ iyinoma yini ohulumeni abagcina beyenza
Kafushane-ke, i-UK inohulumeni okhuthaza ngokuhlelekile izithakazelo zebhizinisi neziphakeme ngaphezu kwalezo zomphakathi kanye nemvelo yomhlaba. Kodwa-ke, abanye abahlaziyi bangasenza sikholwe ukuthi uhulumeni Wezabasebenzi, kanye noBlair ngokwakhe, ngandlela thize akangcoliswanga imibono eqinile. Ngakho, ngokukaSunder Katwala, unobhala-jikelele weFabian Society:
โIndlela yezabasebenzi ehlakaniphile, enolwazi ngemibono ibe yisu lepolitiki eliyimpumelelo ekuwineni nasekubuyiseni isikhundla... Uhlelo Lwezabasebenzi Olusha bekumele luqale ngokuqapha, luzuze ukwethenjwa nokwethembeka futhi lube lukhuni kakhulu ehhovisi.โ
(โUmgwaqo oya ehlandla lesithathu uqala lapha. U-Tony Blair kumele anqabe izingcingo zokuhlanganisa futhi afakazele ukuthi lo hulumeni awukapheli mandlaโ, Sunder Katwala, The Guardian, September 29, 2003)
NgoJulayi odlule, i-Guardian yanikeza uNdunankulu indawo yokuhlela ukuze azisekele njengomholi 'wosopolitiki nabenzi bezinqubomgomo' ngaphambi 'kwengqungquthela yokubusa eqhubekayo'. UBlair ubesemkhankasweni wevangeli wokuchaza ukuthi โinqubomgomo esiyilandele e-Iraq ihambisana kanjani nombono wethu wepolitiki ethuthukayoโ.
(U-Tony Blair, โOkwesobunxele akufanele kukhale uma uSaddam eketulwa: Kufanele sichaze kabusha ipolitiki yesokunxele ukuze sibhekane nezwe elingavikeleki ngokwengeziweโ, The Guardian, February 10, 2003)
Eqinisweni, zimbalwa izintatheli ezijwayelekile ezilungele - noma zihlonyiselwe - ukuveza uBlair, uhulumeni wakhe kanye neNew Labour, njengabagqugquzeli abahlelekile bebhizinisi phezu kwenhlalakahle yomphakathi. Kodwa-ke kulandela izivumelwano ezisungulwe kahle, kodwa ezingenangqondo, yilokho abezindaba abajwayelekile abakhuluma ngakho.
Njengoba umhlaziyi wezindaba uLance Bennett ephawulile: โAbezindaba baye basiza ekudaleni izwe lezombangazwe okungukuthi, ngokwesiko, libheke phansi. Izwe lapho ohulumeni bekwazi khona ukuchaza imiphakathi yabo nalapho 'intando yeningi' iba yinoma yini uhulumeni agcina eseyenza.' (Kucashunwe 'Too Polemical or Too Critical for the Mainstream? Chomsky on the Manufacture of Consent for US Foreign Foreign Policy', u-Eric Herring noPiers Robinson, Ukubuyekezwa Kwezifundo Zamazwe Ngamazwe, uMqulu 29, ikhasi 557, 2003)
UDavid Cromwell ungumhleli weMedia Lens (www.medialens.org). Uphinde abe ngumsunguli we-Crisis Forum (www.crisis-forum.org.uk).