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.
让每一件包裹都不“迟到”****** 【新春走基层】 光明日报记者 訾谦 腊月清晨的北京,气温仅有零下5摄氏度,天还未亮,位于西城区的某快递公司营业部却已是一片繁忙景象。 在堆积满柜的包裹中,王毅拿着手中的扫码机,熟练地挑拣、录入着上午需要派送的快递,再整整齐齐地放进快递三轮车里。 28岁的王毅来自河南安阳,已经在北京工作生活了6个年头,今年是他从事快递行业的第5年。5年来,不论风吹日晒,只要身体允许,他总会在7点整出现在营业部,准时开始一天的工作。 和往常一样,这天上午,王毅的工作就是将马连道茶城各商户的包裹送往每个门店。对不熟悉这里的人来说,身处6.8万平方米的茶城内仿佛置身迷宫之中,但对王毅来说,长期的工作已经使他可以熟练地在小门、小路、楼梯中绕来绕去,一路上遇到商管和商户还熟悉地打着招呼。 “毅哥还坚守岗位呢!准备啥时候回家过年哩?”路过一家绿茶铺子时,店员操着标准的河南话问。 “今年估计不回去了,春节值班有补贴,留在这多挣点钱!”王毅一边拿着包裹向前走,一边扭头对店员说,“我先干活儿去了,等闲了再聊!” 王毅告诉记者,这个店员是他老乡,因为他常在茶城派件,所以一来二去大家就熟络了起来,闲暇时还会一起吃饭。“这里的好多店员和我都是朋友,不管是不是老乡,大家都是在北京的异乡人,都有共同语言。” 上午10点左右,拉货板车上待派件包裹数量越来越少,王毅手中的快递巴枪(手持物流终端)响铃的次数却越来越多:“叮,您有新的订单,请尽快取件。” “这边商户多,寄件业务比较多,我习惯全派完件后再统一取件,要不然容易手忙脚乱,万一弄错就麻烦了。”王毅拿袖子擦了把汗推着车说,这里收取的包裹一般以茶叶、茶具为主,现在茶城内店铺逐渐恢复营业,订单不断增加。 11点半左右,当板车中的包裹再次堆满,王毅上午的工作也正式收工,看着手机上显示的9000多步的数字,记者深感快递员的不易。 “这都没什么,最难的时期已经挺过去了,接下来会越来越好的。”王毅告诉记者,去年12月上旬是最艰难的,因为营业点超过一半的快递员都“阳”了,不能工作。在“减员增件”的情况下,为数不多在岗的快递小哥每天处于“拉满”的状态,有时派件到凌晨,一天4万步都是常态。 “收不到快递的焦虑我们很理解,但这种情况快递员心里更着急,好在现在大家都重新上岗了,恢复正常的感觉真好!”王毅说,虽然干快递员很辛苦,但他觉得很有奔头,生活忙碌又充实,收入也一年比一年高。 如今,虽然已近年关,但王毅和他全国各地的同行却比平时更加忙碌。数据显示,今年的前5天,全国快递业务量日均数据已经达到了3.7亿件,与去年同期相比增长16.7%。国家邮政局专门制定了《邮政快递业2023年春节期间寄递服务保障工作方案》,快递企业也纷纷推出“春节不打烊”服务,保障人民群众生活需要和温暖过冬。 “现在许多包裹装的都是重要的药品和防疫物资,这种情况下客户对时效性的要求就更高,我们都会打起十二分精神,更快地把这些包裹送到客户手中。”王毅说。 谈起新年的愿望,王毅思索了几秒后说:“新年有新气象,希望在2023年我可以通过自己的努力工作,让大家的每一件包裹都不‘迟到’。” 《光明日报》( 2023年01月10日 03版) (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |