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.
两岸夫妇的癸卯新春：愿两岸像我们一样相亲相爱****** (新春见闻)两岸夫妇的癸卯新春：愿两岸像我们一样相亲相爱 中新社北京1月26日电 题：两岸夫妇的癸卯新春：愿两岸像我们一样相亲相爱 作者 朱贺 “新的一年，希望两岸像我们的感情一样，越来越靠近，越来越亲密。”近日，在北京定居的台湾青年林宇阳和来自西安的太太王曼接受中新社记者采访时说。 疫情防控政策调整后，许多两岸夫妇像林宇阳和王曼一样，在这个春节假期返回台湾过年，感受一脉相承的中华传统年俗。他们带着小家庭的爱跨海而去，讲述着两岸融合发展、走亲走近的生动故事。 赠年礼：从头到脚的心意 春节前夕，林宇阳、王曼踏上了返台旅程。林宇阳在行李箱中装了“比台湾口味更烈”的大陆白酒，王曼则带了柿饼、龙须酥等陕西特产，打算与亲友分享。 “回家的机票太火爆，实在是一票难抢。”两岸夫妇王强、丁文蕴一样归乡心切。与家人在大陆团聚后，太太丁文蕴在正月初四带着一双儿女回到台湾。行李箱中，带去了王强为岳父岳母准备的新年礼物——大陆产的新款智能手机。 王强回忆，刚结婚时，两人常从台湾带回许多电子产品；最近几年，大陆的电子产品更新迭代迅速，在台湾也拥有较高知名度，特别受欢迎。 今年，台青林锦葳带着儿子梦梦回台北过年；为照顾小女儿圆圆，来自山东的太太张舒和爸妈留在北京团圆。回乡的行李箱中，张舒为台北的家人准备了各式礼物，海参等保养品是来自爸妈的心意，送给公婆的运动鞋、新衣服则延续“新年添新衣”的习俗。“是从头到脚的心意。”梦梦补充道。 品年味：两岸新春都一样 往年新春，为与双方家人团聚，两岸夫妇们常在短暂的假期中跨海奔波。亲友们期盼团圆的心情与热情难却，林宇阳和王曼的行程总是安排得满满当当，两人都觉得“虽然累点，但还是很快乐”。 今年除夕，夫妇二人来到台北迪化街采买年货。购物的人群熙熙攘攘，火红的春联、各式各样的花灯装点着大街小巷，让两人感受到和大陆一样的浓浓“年味儿”。 回忆从前和来自山东的丈夫王强回乡过年，朋友们结伴去邻居家拜年的场景让丁文蕴记忆犹新，“场面十分热闹，充满新春气氛”。台湾春节的仪式感也令王强印象深刻：一家人定要围在一起吃顿年夜饭，人多到“一张桌子都坐不下”。他感受到，“很多习俗与大陆别无二致，这就是两岸一家亲的生动体现”。 2020年回台湾过年，作为医务人员的王强和丁文蕴担忧疫情形势，正月初三便飞回北京待命。最近几年与家人在北京迎新春，则在“云端”同海峡对岸的亲友分享喜悦。“按家庭传统，长辈会在除夕夜发红包，晚辈则要正式地向老人家拜年，”丁文蕴说，这是令小朋友最期待、最兴奋的时刻。 新年愿望：常走动，多来往 除陪伴家人外，这个假期，林宇阳和王曼还安排了一场在台湾的旅行。七年前二人相识于花莲的旅途中，如今期待旧地重游。 过去一年，林宇阳重返校园深造，在中国人民大学攻读博士学位；王曼则坚持健身，重拾健康状态。如今在北京定居，两人的生活比从前更精致，让居住的胡同小屋“更有家的感觉”。 回台湾前，林锦葳和张舒的儿子梦梦画了一幅与春节有关的画，“一群兔子坐着鞭炮，告别满是老虎的山，象征着我们挥别旧年，迎来新年”。 孩子们成长的速度越来越快，令林锦葳和张舒倍感欣慰。他们把小朋友的生活点滴拍成短视频发在家庭群中，以便台北的家人及时关注。两人期待，随着疫情缓和，两岸亲友间的走动更加方便。 常回家看看，这也是王强和丁文蕴夫妇的新年心愿，他们希望未来每年至少回台湾两趟，享受更多面对面的团圆。(完) 彩神彩票地图 |
