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.
浙江文旅观察：西湖游船为何成杭州打卡新地标？******
中新网杭州1月18日电 题：浙江文旅观察：西湖游船为何成杭州打卡新地标？
记者 王题题
最近，浙江杭州的西湖游船吸引了众多游客拍照打卡。
一只只憨态可掬的福兔，提着小灯笼坐在船头……30艘新春特别款兔子灯“福气船”亮相西湖。
活动期间，每到傍晚时分，这些“福气船”就亮起星星点点的灯火。仔细一看，船头上有萌萌的小兔子装置，手提红色福字灯笼，船身两侧还印满了福字。
据悉，“福气船”经过精心设计，船头巨型兔子灯配合着福字、剪纸等元素，让节日氛围倍增。
其中，兔子灯是由中国纸雕艺术家温秋雯设计制作，采用传统的花灯工艺扎制，同时做了一些微创新，透过兔子身躯可看见其内部构造。而福字灯笼上的图案则来源于宋朝古画中的民间女士服装花色——莲花，寓意着吉祥福寿。
装扮一新的“福气船”一亮相西湖，就吸引了众多游客驻足欣赏，并拍照打卡。“挺好的，过年的氛围来了！”杭州市民胡女士说。
游客拍照打卡兔子灯“福气船” 王刚 摄“只有中国年才有十二生肖和福字，不管是船上的新年兔还是福字灯笼，都是我们最熟悉的元素，但是当它出现在西湖游船上，感觉还是非常新鲜。”有游客对西湖游船的这一特别变身表达了喜爱之情。
一个个喜庆圆润的福字，提前送来欢乐年味，瞬间将过年的仪式感拉满，也引发了不少网友喊话：今年的集五福活动快点来，都快过年了，集福换福才是春节标配！
据体验过“福气船”的乘客透露，船上真的有定制福可以扫，还成功领到了彩蛋卡，虽然还不知道有什么用，但是感觉很惊喜。此外，船上还有定制的暖手宝赠送，让大家泛舟湖上也能暖意融融，和亲朋好友一起享受团聚的温馨时刻。
也有乘客点赞说，“西湖游船也太浪漫了吧，浓浓的年味，满满的过年仪式感呀！”
西湖中秋的月亮船 王刚 摄记者了解到，因为此次兔子灯“福气船”亮相西湖，西湖游船的热度大涨。据马蜂窝近期数据显示，“西湖游船”成了杭州打卡“新地标”，热度大涨135%。
当然，西湖游船的浪漫远不止于此。比如去年中秋“霸屏”大家朋友圈的那33艘月亮船，连续三晚“点亮”西湖，“重现”三潭印月“33个月亮”的传说经典。
活动期间，西湖上，游客们坐着33艘月亮船巡岛夜游、泛舟赏月。行至途中，还有精彩的节日主题表演轮番上演，丝竹雅乐，缥缈而来，将过节氛围直接拉满。
在记者看来，无论是西湖的兔子灯“福气船”，还是西湖的中秋“月亮船”，其可取之处在于借助“兔年”“福”“月亮”等古今共通的情感意向，让现代表达充分走进古代场景，让古人的风雅和诗意，充分融入到现代人的生活方式里，再加上新技术的适时“登场”，古今交融的文旅创意，对于传承传统文化、增加审美意趣、优化旅游体验，无疑是一次成功的尝试。(完)
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