Ngasekuqaleni kwalo nyaka, abagibeli bamahhashi abane abayizigangi begqoke izingubo ezimnyama bagxumeke phansi ePennsylvania Avenue. Njengoba kungekho owayekhononda noma ngisho nokuqaphela, baklama amahhashi abo alambile otshanini be-White House. Sebelokhu bekhona kusukela lapho futhi basabisa ngokuthi ngeke bahambe.
Ilandelayo inhlolokhono nabo:
"Qala Mkhweli wehhashi, ngicela usho igama lakho kubafundi bethu."
"Igama lami ngingu-Oil futhi intengo yami ingu-$50 emgqonyeni ngamunye nangaphezulu okuzayo."
"Kuhle, kanti ungowakwa...?"
"I-Hubbert's Peak."
"Ingabe lokho kuseColorado?"
Ayikho impendulo.
"Ingabe useWashington ngenxa yebhizinisi noma ukuzijabulisa?"
โKokubili, empeleni. Ngenkathi ngibhidliza umnotho waseMelika, nginethemba lokuletha injabulo enkulu ezinkampanini ezimbalwa ezinkulu zamandla. "
โHhayi-ke, lokho kuyisizathu esidumile kuleli dolobha, ngakho ngicela ukujabulele ukuhlala kwakho. Manje, Mgadi Wehhashi Wesibili, ngicela ukulithola igama lakho ukuze liqophe umlando.โ
"Igama lami ngingu-Proliferation, indodana kaWot nombhubhisi wezwe."
โHawu?โ
โImpi Yobuphekula. Abanamandla nabahlome ngezikhali zenuzi kuphela abayosinda, kusho uBush.โ
โNgiyabona, ungumdayisi ohambahambayo. Uvakashele noma yiziphi izindawo ezingavamile kamuva nje?"
โIkakhulukazi iTehran nePyongyang ngokulala okuthile eKarachi, Delhi, naseBrasilia. Kodwa nginohlelo olunzima lokuhamba ngonyaka ozayo.โ
โJabulela amaphuzu akho ondiza njalo. Manje, inombolo yesithathu, uma ngingaphazamisa umzuzu?โ
"Ayikho inkinga. Igama lami ngingu-Global Chaos. Kade ngihlunga izithombe zaseholidini. Ake ubheke."
โNgiyabonga. Hmm, i-National Geographic kakhulu. "
โYebo, ngiyakuthanda okuhle ngaphandle. Lesi yiqhwa elincibilikayo e-Alaska. Nasi isikhukhula e-Bangladesh. O, enye yezintandokazi zami, isomiso esimangalisayo eNingizimu-ntshonalanga yaseMelika. "
"Eh, yiziphi lezo zinto ezimhlophe?"
โUsho amathambo?โ
โAmathambo? Mhlawumbe kungcono ngidlulele phambili ngihlangane noMqaphi Wezine.โ
"Ngingumgibeli ophaphathekile futhi igama lami nginguNhlupho."
"Ngicabanga ukuthi igama lakho lokuqala unguBubonic?"
โCha, umzala wami lowo. Mina ngiwubhubhane lwe-avian influenza.โ
"Ngiyaxolisa, kodwa ngizwile ngawe?"
โI-World Health Organization ithi ngiwusongo olungakaze lubonwe esintwini. Umhlaba awukakulungeli neze ukubhekana nokufika kwami.โ
โHhayi-ke, lokho kufiphaza okukodwa kwe-helluva.โ
Yebo, futhi umkhulu wabulala abantu abayizigidi eziyikhulu ngo-100-1918.
"Akudlalwa? Hhayi-ke, siyabonga ngokwabelana. Manje, ngiyazibuza ukuthi ngingakwazi yini ukubuza imibuzo embalwa yeqembu lonke. Okokuqala, ingabe isikhundla sakho, ibhendi, noma yini, inaye i-ejenti noma umphakathi?โ
'Yebo, John oNgcwele.
โKULUNGILE, futhi usekuhlelile yini ukukhangisa nge-DC yakho? Ingabe uke waba nokuchayeka kwabezindaba onyakeni wokhetho? Uyazi, u-O'Reilly, iWashington Post, Hlangana nabezindaba, Ihora Lezindaba Lehrerโฆ.?"
โHhayi, cha,โ kuhleka i-Chaos, โakekho oke waxoxa nathi.โ
"Wozani, izinsizwa ezine ezimnyama zigibele amahhashi, lapha phambi kwe-White House ngesikhathi sokhetho."
"Cha, iqiniso," kungene i-Proliferation, "abafuni ukuvuma ukuba khona kwethu."
โAwu, kolunye uhlangothi, iqembu eliphikisayo? Impela, bebebheke kuwe ukuthola i-engeli enamanzi. Ngisho ama-doo-doo amahhashi agcwele utshani be-White House, ingasaphathwaโฆ.. Hhayi-ke, ingabe niyizakhamizi? Unawo amapasi?"
โNgingakuqinisekisa,โ kugcizelela uProliferation, โakukho lutho kulokho okubalulekile. Akekho ofuna ukuvuma ukuthi silapha.โ
"Kodwa kungani?"
Kwakhuluma inhlupho. โUkuphika kwe-Apocalypse. Umphakathi wakho wonke uhlushwa ukuphikwa kwe-apocalypse. "
โKuyakhohlisa lokho, sesaba zonke izinhlobo zezinto kulezi zinsuku. Siyathuthumela lapho sicabanga nge-anthrax eposini, i-plutonium ezindleleni ezihamba ngaphansi, noma i-botulism kuma-Big Macs ethu. Sinezexwayiso ezijwayelekile eziwolintshiโฆ. โ
Isifo siphazamisekile. โCha, inhloso yonke leyo. Wesaba kakhulu izithunzi ababusi bakho abazenza odongeni kangangokuthi awusiboni simi lapha, ngaphandle komnyango wakho.โ
"Hmm, ngakho ngicabanga ukuthi nina bafana ngempela?"
"Khalwa."
โYini-ke i-business plan yakho?โ
Isiphithiphithi salungisa umphimbo wakhe. "Ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane, amaphesenti angama-40 abantu bakho abacebile baye baphila ngaphakathi kwebhamuza lelungelo elimangalisayo."
โNgaphezu kokulondeka okukhulu kwengcebo nesikhundla,โ kwathatha i-Proliferation, โizigaba zenu zabacebile ziye zavikelwa emimoyeni emibi yomlando.โ
โSiyimimoya ebabayo,โ kwenezela uPhlupho.
โFuthi sizoqhumisa ibhamuza lakho,โ kuthembisa u-Oil.
Kwakhala ihhashi eliphaphathekile.
โNgebhadi irecorder yami isiphelelwe yikhasethi. Nginovalo lokuthi kuzofanele siyiqedele leyo nhlolokhono.โ
'Akunankinga,' u-Oil emamatheka. โNizobuya nizovakasha. Asiyi ndawo.โ
Copyright C2004 Mike Davis
UMike Davis ungumbhali we Amadolobha Afile: Nezinye Izinganekwane, I-Ecology Yokwesaba, kanye nomlobi-munye we-Under the Perfect Sun: i-San Diego Tourists Never See, phakathi kwezinye izincwadi.
[Le ndatshana yaqala ukuvela ngo I-Tomdispatch.com, ibhulogi yewebhu ye-Nation Institute, enikeza ukugeleza okuqhubekayo kweminye imithombo, izindaba, kanye nemibono evela ku-Tom Engelhardt, umhleli wesikhathi eside ekushicileleni kanye nombhali wencwadi. Ukuphela KweMasiko Okunqoba futhi Izinsuku Zokugcina Zokushicilela.]
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