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.
“岭南古郡”广西钦州的特色年味******
(新春走基层)“岭南古郡”广西钦州的特色年味
中新网钦州1月17日电：“岭南古郡”广西钦州的特色年味
记者 翟李强 杨强
1月15日，壬寅年农历腊月二十四，年已七旬的广西钦州灵山烟墩大鼓非物质文化遗产传承人黄平修踏上约一米高的铁板凳，擂响了他新年的第一通鼓，鼓声震耳撼人。黄平修介绍，这种闹春的鼓声在附近的村庄里将会持续至元宵。
烟墩大鼓系钦州市灵山县烟墩镇一带的一项独特而古老的传统器具，相传起源于古代先民用作驱鬼避邪、驱赶猛兽和传递战争信号的器具，如今已演变成当地迎春、祈福、庆祝丰收，或用于开业庆典等的乐器，列入了广西壮族自治区级非物质文化遗产保护名录。
在烟墩镇邓塘村的烟墩大鼓工作室里，陈列着多面赛人高的大鼓，最高的一面约有3米，每一面大鼓都用很多钢丝绳由鼓面绷至鼓脚。黄平修介绍，这些大鼓都是用樟木和牛皮制作的，有了钢丝绳的作用，通过调节鼓脚的木楔就可以改变大鼓的音效。
黄修平说，击鼓闹春是当地传统习俗，每逢大年初二，附近各村还会聚集在一起斗鼓，比拼鼓声，祈求风调雨顺，驱疫辟邪，2023年春节也不会例外。
在灵山县佛子镇大芦村，始建于清朝乾隆十二年的东园别墅前，几位老人围坐一起烤火聊天，古宅里，刚从广东放假返乡的劳会正在为古宅和乡亲写春联，他的三个孩子围着桌子聚精会神地看着。劳会每写一字，他侄女就帮着拉一下红纸。一旁的劳永秀和她的侄子也一样默契地配合着，完成了一副又一副的春联。
这个传统在大芦村年年都有。劳会说，他的爷爷生前也是每年都给村里人写对联，就是因为有这样的熏陶，他热爱书法，执着于写春联的传统。1997年爷爷去世后，他就接过棒来了。带上孩子们，就是想让他们感受传统。
劳会领着孩子们在大芦村古宅里写春联。 翟李强 摄劳永秀告诉记者，她为古宅写春联是从2019年回到老家工作后开始的，之前都是老长辈写，现在年轻人慢慢接任了。
据了解，大芦村以古屋、古树和古楹联而闻名，是目前广西发现的保护最完好、规模最大的明清建筑群，现保存有305副古楹联，因而被誉为“广西楹联第一村”。
春节临近，年味愈发浓烈。与烟墩镇相邻的灵山县沙坪镇街上，人们正在忙着置办年货，人流车流叫卖声交错在一起，很是热闹。芝麻饼是当地的民众喜爱的特色小吃之一，是人们常备的年货。糯米制作的饼皮，用叉烧、薯蓉等作馅，再裹上一层芝麻，经过烘烤，香脆可口。
工人在赶制芝麻饼。 翟李强 摄“今天到现在都没停过。”1月16日下午，冯艺的工人在忙着打包芝麻饼给客户发货，他的车间里，工人们在忙着赶制新一批芝麻饼。冯艺介绍，他从2003年开始生产芝麻饼，每年中秋和春节前是最忙的时候，2022年从农历十月底开始至今生产了逾100万个，目前已经卖了九成。
在灵山，年味也缺不了大粽子，有“无粽不成年，唯喜必有粽”的说法。灵山大粽广西自治区级非物质文化遗产传承人大粽哥张龙芬介绍，灵山大粽以大而著称，状如枕头，主要用野生冬叶和糯米、绿豆、猪肉、猪蹄、鸡等包制而成，标准的灵山大粽一般都有4斤重，大的庆典大粽有几百斤重，寓意“传宗接代、高中状元、光宗耀祖等。逢年过节，灵山人以大粽、粉利、芝麻饼“吉祥三宝”迎来送往，寓意家庭团聚，总之顺利。
粱受轩刚包好用一只整鸡做馅的大粽子。 翟李强 摄1月16日，在大芦村的古宅里，村民粱受轩用一只整鸡和糯米、绿豆一起包了一个大粽子，足有5斤重。“用鸡做馅的大粽寓意生活吉祥如意、事业如日中天。”大粽哥张龙芬说。(完)
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