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.
贵州遵义电厂社区——文明创建点亮夜经济****** 傍晚时分，位于贵州遵义市红花岗区迎红街道电厂社区老电厂内的小野马城市营地里，亮起了氛围灯，燃起老式围炉，烤地瓜、烧烤、火锅等美食在折叠桌上铺散开来，精致悠闲的氛围感吸引了不少市民前来露营。 “冬天用围炉烤地瓜既传统又能取暖，氛围很棒，而且里面环境很好，非常适合与亲朋好友小聚。”家住电厂社区的王女士说，“这里的变化很大，以前的环境很不美观，现在打造成一处网红打卡地，不仅提升了城市颜值，还让市民在工作之余有了一个新的休闲去处。” 今年6月，小野马城市营地抓住露营热度升温的机遇应运而生。而在此前，这里是被闲置了几年的建筑工地员工休息区，多是坑坑洼洼的地面、乱停乱放的车辆、摇摇欲坠的工棚。 “在整治社区环境，巩固提升文明城市创建成果的过程中，如何盘活这几十亩地？我们与社区干部、居民代表商议，决定发展夜经济。”电厂社区党支部书记、主任简柱军说，确定了发展业态布局后，小野马城市营地率先入驻，丰富的产品业态、精细化设计的景观绿化、规范的门店管理，在带来烟火气的同时，也把城市一角装点得井然有序。 “营地以盘活城市闲置土地、激发周边消费活力、部分盈利反哺社区为主要运营模式，从而实现互利共赢。”小野马城市营地负责人杨熙雯介绍，营地设有30多个帐篷，日均接待游客300人左右，根据节日特点，适时推出民俗相关或节日专享等主题活动，并利用周边闲置资源开发“网红车摊”，进一步打造消费新业态，为大家提供更多更优质的消费体验。 城市闲置地变成夜经济新载体，不仅能激发消费活力，促进经济发展，也带动了居民就业。据介绍，小野马城市营地最多时有30多名员工，大部分为周边居民。“我在营地负责采购，一个月能拿4000多元工资，离家又近，比在外面打工要好得多。”电厂社区居民李汝筠在营地工作了半年，对工作很满意。 “以文明创建点亮夜经济，让消费更好地拉动经济，就是我们的工作目标。”简柱军说，社区还将科学规划场地布局，新建停车场，招商引进餐饮商家，丰富经营业态，规范夜经济集聚区域管理，让城市烟火气与文明同行，促进城市活力提升，推动辖区高质量发展。（人民日报 本报记者 汪志球 黄娴） 乐乐彩地图 |
