History vs. Richard Nixon - Alex Gendler

Istorija protiv Ričarda Niksona - Aleks Džendler (Alex Gendler)

Prevodilac: Ljiljana Colic Lektor: Mile Živković

The presidency of the United States of America

Za predsedništvo SAD

često se kaže da je jedan od najmoćnijih položaja na svetu.

is often said to be one of the most powerful positions in the world.

But of all the U.S. presidents accused of misusing that power,

Ali od svih američkih predsednika koji su optuženi za zloupotrebu položaja,

only one has left office as a result.

samo je jedan podneo ostavku kao posledicu zloupotrebe.

Does Richard Nixon deserve to be remembered

Da li Ričard Nikson zaslužuje da ga pamte

for more than the scandal that ended his presidency?

po još nečemu osim po skandalu koji je okončao njegovo predsedništvo?

Find out as we put this disgraced president's legacy on trial

Otkrijte dok stavljamo nasledstvo ovog osramoćenog predsednika na suđenje

u Istoriji protiv Ričarda Niksona.

in History vs. Richard Nixon.

"Order, order.

„Mir, mir.

Now, who's the defendant today, some kind of crook?"

Dakle, ko je danas optuženi, nekakva varalica?''

"Cough. No, your Honor.

„(Kašalj) Ne, časni sude.

This is Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th president of the United States,

Ovo je Ričard Milhaus Nikson, 37. predsednik Sjedinjenih Država,

who served from 1969 to 1974."

koji je bio u službi od 1969. do 1974.''

"Hold on.

„Samo malo.

That's a weird number of years for a president to serve."

To je čudan broj godina za predsednički mandat.''

"Well, you see, President Nixon resigned for the good of the nation

„Pa vidite, predsednik Nikson je dao ostavku za dobrobit nacije,

and was pardoned by President Ford, who took over after him."

a pomilovao ga je predsednik Ford koji je od njega preuzeo dužnost.''

„Dao je ostavku jer je trebalo da bude osuđen,

"He resigned because he was about to be impeached,

and he didn't want the full extent of his crimes exposed."

i nije hteo da se njegovi zločini razotkriju u punoj meri.''

"And what were these crimes?"

„A koji su to zločini?''

"Your Honor, the Watergate scandal was one of the grossest abuses

„Časni sude, Afera Votergejt je bila jedna od najodvratnijih zloupotreba

of presidential power in history.

predsedničke moći u istoriji.

Nixon's men broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters

Niksonovi ljudi su provalili u sedište Nacionalnog demokratskog komiteta

to wiretap the offices and dig up dirt on opponents

kako bi ozvučili kancelarije i oblatili protivnike

for the reelection campaign."

u sklopu kampanje za ponovne izbore.''

"Cough

„(Kašalj)

It was established that the President did not order this burglary."

Utvrđeno je da predsednik nije naredio ovu provalu.''

„Ali čim je saznao za istu, uradio je sve kako bi je zataškao,

"But as soon as he learned of it, he did everything to cover it up,

while lying about it for months."

dok je mesecima lagao o tome.''

"Uh, yes, but it was for the good of the country.

„Pa, da, ali to je bilo za dobrobit države.

He did so much during his time in office and could have done so much more

Toliko je toga uradio za vreme vladavine, a mogao je uraditi još i više

without a scandal jeopardizing his accomplishments."

da nije bilo skandala koji je osporavao njegova dostignuća.''

"Uh, accomplishments?"

„Dostignuća?''

"Yes, your Honor.

„Da, časni sude.

Did you know it was President Nixon

Zar niste znali da je predsednik Nikson

who proposed the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency,

taj koji je predložio osnivanje Agencije za zaštitu životne sredine,

and signed the National Environmental Policy Act into law?

i sproveo Akt o zaštiti životne sredine u zakon?

Not to mention the Endangered Species Act,

A da ne spominjemo Akt o zaštiti ugroženih vrsta,

Marine Mammal Protection Act,

Akt o zaštiti morskih sisara,

expansion of the Clean Air Act."

proširenje Akta o čistom vazduhu.''

"Sounds pretty progressive of him."

„Zvuči veoma napredno od njega.''

"Progressive? Hardly.

„Napredno? Jedva.

Nixon's presidential campaign courted Southern voters

Niksonova predsednička kampanja je pridobijala južnjačke glasače

through fear and resentment of the civil rights movement."

zastrašivanjem i vređanjem pokreta za građanska prava.''

"Speaking of civil rights,

„Kad smo kod građanskih prava,

the prosecution may be surprised to learn that he signed the Title IX amendment,

tužioca će možda iznenaditi činjenica da je potpisao amandman Naslov 9,

banning gender-based discrimination in education,

kojim je zabranjena diskriminacija na rodnoj osnovi u obrazovanju,

and ensured that desegregation of schools occurred peacefully,

i osigurana mirna desegregacija škola,

and he lowered the voting age to 18, so that students could vote."

i smanjio je starosnu granicu za glasanje na 18, da bi studenti mogli da glasaju.''

"He didn't have much concern for students

„Nije mnogo mario za studente

after four were shot by the National Guard at Kent State.

nakon što je Nacionalna garda ubila četvoro kod Kent Stejta.

Instead, he called them bums for protesting the Vietnam War,

Štaviše, nazvao ih je skitnicama jer su protestovali

zbog Vijetnamskog rata, rata za čiji kraj se on zalagao.''

a war he had campaigned on ending."

„Ali okončao ga je.''

"But he did end it."

"He ended it two years after taking office.

„Okončao ga je dve godine nakon što je postao predsednik.

Meanwhile, his campaign had sabotaged the previous president's peace talks,

U međuvremenu, njegova kampanja je sabotirala mirovne razgovore

njegovog prethodnika, podstičući vladu Južnog Vijetnama da sačeka

urging the South Vietnamese government to hold out for supposedly better terms,

navodno bolje uslove, koji se, ako smem da dodam, nisu ostvarili.

which, I might add, didn't materialize.

So, he protracted the war for four years,

Tako je razvukao rat na četiri godine,

in which 20,000 more U.S. troops, and over a million more Vietnamese,

u kojem je još 20 000 američkih trupa, i još preko milion Vijetnamaca

died for nothing."

uzalud poginulo.''

"Hmm, a presidential candidate interfering in foreign negotiations --

„Hm, predsednički kandidat koji se meša u strana pregovaranja -

isn't that treason?"

zar to nije izdaja?''

„Jeste, časni sude, jasno narušavanje Loganovog akta iz 1799.''

"It is, your Honor, a clear violation of the Logan Act of 1799."

"Uh, I think we're forgetting President Nixon's many

„Ovaj, mislim da zaboravljamo mnoga spoljnopolitička ostvarenja

foreign policy achievements.

predsednika Niksona.

It was he who normalized ties with China, forging economic ties that continue today."

On je taj koji je stabilizovao odnose sa Kinom,

uspostavljajući ekonomske veze koje su postojane i dan danas.''

„Jesmo li doista sigurni da je to dobra stvar?

"Are we so sure that's a good thing?

And don't forget his support of the coup in Chile

I ne zaboravimo njegovu podršku prevratu u Čileu

kojim je smenjen demokratski izabran predsednik Aljende,

that replaced the democratically-elected President Allende

with a brutal military dictator."

a postavljen brutalni vojni diktator.''

"It was part of the fight against communism."

„Bio je to deo borbe protiv komunizma.''

„Nisu li despotizam i nasilje razlozi zbog kojih smo se prvobitno

"Weren't tyranny and violence the reasons we opposed communism to begin with?

suprotstavili komunizmu?

Or was it just fear of the lower class rising up against the rich?"

Ili je to bio samo strah da će se niža klasa podići protiv bogataša?''

„Predsednik Nikson nije mogao da predvidi nasilje Pinočeovog režima,

"President Nixon couldn't have predicted the violence of Pinochet's regime,

a biti protiv komunizma nije značilo zapostavljanje siromašnih.

and being anti-communist didn't mean neglecting the poor.

He proposed a guaranteed basic income for all American families,

Predložio je zagarantovano osnovno primanje za sve američke porodice,

still a radical concept today.

što i danas predstavlja radikalan koncept.

And he even pushed for comprehensive healthcare reform,

Čak se zauzimao i za sveobuhvatnu zdravstvenu reformu,

just the kind that passed 40 years later."

upravo onakvu koja je uspostavljena 40 godina kasnije.''

"I'm still confused about this burglary business.

„I dalje me buni taj incident sa provalom.

Je li on bio varalica ili ne?''

Was he a crook or not?"

„Časni sude, predsednik Nikson možda jeste narušio pokoji zakon,

"Your Honor, President Nixon may have violated a law or two,

ali koja je istinska šteta nanesena kada se uporedi sa svime što je postigao

but what was the real harm compared to all he accomplished while in office?"

kao predsednik?''

"The harm was to democracy itself.

„Šteta je nanesena samoj demokratiji.

The whole point of the ideals Nixon claimed to promote abroad

Sva svrha ideala koje je Nikson tvrdio da promoviše

is that leaders are accountable to the people,

jeste da vođe imaju odgovornost prema narodu,

and when they hold themselves above the law for whatever reason,

ali kad sebe uzdignu iznad zakona iz bilo kog razloga,

those ideals are undermined."

samim tim potkopavaju te ideale.''

"And if you don't hold people accountable to the law, I'll be out of a job."

„A ako vi ne smatrate ljude odgovornima za zakon, onda bih ja ostao bez posla.''

Mnogi političari su ugrozili neke principe kako bi postigli rezultate,

Many politicians have compromised some principles to achieve results,

but law-breaking and cover-ups threaten the very fabric the nation is built on.

ali kršenje zakona i zataškavanja prete samoj osnovi na kojoj je izgrađena nacija.

Those who do so may find their entire legacy tainted

Oni koji to urade baciće ljagu na svoje sveukupno nasledstvo

when history is put on trial.

koje se razotkrije kad istorija bude stavljena na suđenje.