中新网评:美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾******
中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后,美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕,众议院共和党领袖凯文·麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录,将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。
资料图:美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀摄
由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素,众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中,美国民主党议员继续抱团,多轮投票中,一票不投麦卡锡,共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。
麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折,除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外,与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。
一方面,共和党党内反对者认为,麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱,无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府,另一方面,因为共和党的多数优势微弱,党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大,有利于他们巩固自己的选票。
此外,党内反对者也认为,自己的选票没有换取更多利益,希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步,比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。
作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物,众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任,选举几乎没有悬念。然而,麦卡锡此次为当选,不得不做出多个关键让步,其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制,使得众议长的权力被削弱,难以掌控众议院。
美国有线电视新闻网CNN称,麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步,这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。
这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下,党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上,美国两党相互拆台,陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内,也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系,相互对抗,选票变成了谋利益的工具。
从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举,“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈,长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力,其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。
两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病,美国所谓的“民主”形象,让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举,变成了政客们利益置换的游戏,进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能,不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。
House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy
(ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy".
The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader.
Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party.
On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration.
On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses.
Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees.
As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives.
But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker.
CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful.
This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally.
Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits.
From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public.
Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world.
The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle.
浙江杭州临平启动“浙里来消费·嗨购金兔年”2023年货节******
1月7日,“浙里来消费·嗨购金兔年”2023年货节暨“新临平·新消费”主题展启动仪式于杭州市临平区艺尚国际秀场启动。年货节采用线上线下结合方式进行,活动现场设置“美食佳肴乐味购、智能幸福家惠民购、美酒饮品美味购、文旅助游乡愁购、年俗年味欢乐购、乡村共富助农购”等六大区块,约60个展位。
“美食佳肴乐味购”区邀请餐饮和进口食品龙头企业推出特色年夜饭、预制菜和进口食品展示,开展年夜饭网上预订、年夜饭进万家活动;“智能幸福家惠民购”区邀请新概念能源车企展示汽车新技术;“美酒饮品美味购”区邀请酒品龙头企业推出进口红酒、本省黄酒、五加皮、莲子酒、奶茶等地方特色水酒饮品展示,同时邀请绍兴塔牌黄酒工匠大师现场讲解家庭定制及储存知识。
“文旅助游乡愁购”区邀请文旅龙头企业展示酒店民宿及旅游线路服务,重点推荐山区26县旅游线路;“年俗年味欢乐购”区邀请西泠印社等单位推出“大师送福”“迎新剪纸”现场表演活动,邀请花卉企业展示盆景花卉,现场表演插花技艺,邀请文创礼品等企业展示有传统年味的礼品礼盒;“乡村共富助农购”区邀请农产品龙头企业展示山区26县优质农产品、非遗产品。
此外,年货“新临平·新消费”主题展区分“新传承、新生活、新智造”3个主题馆。“新传承”以历史底蕴深厚的大运河文化为主线,展示区内老刀食品、法根糕点和同福永酒业等临平区内浙江省老字号创新产品;“新生活”重点展示崴芸科技、楠宋瓷业、臻元箱包等临平时尚产业文化和文创产品;“新智造”主要展示老板电器、春风动力、西奥电梯等一批国内外品牌,体现临平智能制造产业的高质量发展动力。近年来,临平区围绕打造“品质之城”目标,“1+3+3+N”的商业布局加速形成,商贸服务业GDP占比达到45%。截至2022年底,区内直播电商企业超1500家、网络零售突破800亿元。构美、鸭梨互动、博观瑞思3家获评抖音官方认证钻石服务商,塘栖获评省级数字生活特色镇。老板电器建成 “5G+工业互联网”智慧工厂、产品连续18年全国市场占有第一。春风摩托成为专业高端动力运动装备的国际化品牌,产品远销近百个国家和地区。区内老刀食品、同福永酒业和发根糕点等12家浙江省老字号企业新产品迭代升级。
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(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)