Kodi Zaka za m’ma 1900 Zinali za Satana?

“TIKAONA mmene kuipa kunachulukira m’nyengo imeneyi, tingati n’koyenera kunena kuti inali nyengo ya Satana. Palibe nyengo ina m’mbuyomu imene anthu anasonyeza kwambiri kukonda ndi kulakalaka kupha anthu ena mamiliyoni ambiri chifukwa chosiyana mtundu, chipembedzo kapena chuma.”

Phwando lokumbukira kuti patha zaka 50 kuyambira pamene anthu osalakwa amene anatsekeredwa m’misasa yopherako anthu ya Anazi anamasulidwa, linapangitsa kuti alembe zili pamwambazi mu nyuzipepala ya The New York Times ya January 26, 1995. Kupha anthu kwa Anazi kumene kunali kupulula anthu kotchuka kwambiri m’mbiri yonse, kunapha Ayuda pafupifupi sikisi miliyoni. Nzika za ku Poland zimene sizinali Ayuda zokwana pafupifupi mamiliyoni atatu zinafa pa kuphedwa kwa anthu kumene amati “Kupulula Anthu Koiwalika.”

Jonathan Glover m’buku lake lakuti Humanity​—A Moral History of the Twentieth Century anati: “Kuŵerengera kuchokera mu 1900 mpaka 1989 kukusonyeza kuti anthu pafupifupi 86 miliyoni anafa pankhondo.” Ananenanso kuti: “Anthu amene anamwalira pankhondo m’zaka za m’ma 1900 anali ochuluka zedi moti n’zovuta kumvetsa. Kuti titchule nambala ya anthu amene anamwalira pa avareji sizigwirizana kwenikweni ndi zimene zinachitikadi, popeza kuti pafupifupi anthu aŵiri pa anthu atatu alionse (omwe ndi 58 miliyoni) anafa pankhondo ziŵiri za padziko lonse. Koma, ngati anthu ameneŵa atagaŵidwa mofanana m’nyengo imeneyi, ndiye kuti anthu pafupifupi 2,500 anali kufa pankhondo tsiku lililonse, Kutanthauza kuti anthu oposa 100 anali kufa paola lililonse mosalekeza kwa zaka 90.”

Choncho, amati m’zaka za m’ma 1900 ndi nyengo imene anthu ambiri anafa kuposa m’nyengo iliyonse m’mbuyomu. Nadezhda Mandelstam analemba m’buku la Hope Against Hope kuti: “Taona mphamvu zoipa zikupambana, makhalidwe abwino a anthu ataipitsidwa ndi kuponderezedwa.” Pankhondo ya mphamvu zabwino ndi zoipa, kodi mphamvu zoipa zapambanadi?

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COVER: Mother and daughter: J.R. Ripper/​SocialPhotos

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U.S. Department of Energy photograph