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.
“我是建设者，更是受益者”****** 【一线讲述】 “我是建设者，更是受益者” 讲述人：江苏南通狼山旅游区管理办公室旅游工作局局长 胡志刚 在我的记忆里，五山地区是一个风景如画的地方。然而，2018年初，当我选调来南通狼山旅游度假区管理办公室工作时，内心却十分失落。 报到当天，目之所及是一个“大工地”：破落的厂房、参差不齐的民房、高低不平的菜地，连进单位的那条不足两米宽的路，也是坑坑洼洼、污水遍地。 投入工作后不久，我才清楚，南通全面实施五山及沿江地区生态修复和保护工程，要退出沿线港口货运功能、腾出修复岸线12公里，新增森林面积约6平方公里，把五山及沿江地区13.68平方公里打造成集森林公园和旅游休闲于一体的南通“外滩”。我意识到，自己赶上了一个千载难逢的好时机。 随着单位周围最后一批厂房被拆除，五山生态修复进入了冲刺收官的百日大会战。那一百多天，大家战低温、踏泥泞，白天抓建设、晚上共会商，愣是完成了当初我认为不可能完成的建设任务。五山地区当年获批“江苏省南通狼山国家森林公园”。 经过生态修复，五山地区森林覆盖率达80％以上，长江南通段生态环境也发生了根本变化。我经常听志愿者们跟我“献宝”，他们“又拍到江豚家族了！”长江南通段的水好了，鱼多了，江豚家族自然就成了这里的“常住民”。滨江岸线和森林公园里的鸟儿种类增加了30多种，达450多种。 为了让市民游客更好地共享五山生态修复成果，我和同事们在守护五山生态的同时，深入挖掘五山历史文化资源，对嵌入的每一个文旅项目都精雕细琢。军山气象台布展历时3个多月，我们查阅相关史料近百册，只为恢复中国第一个民办气象台的历史原貌。越来越多的市民游客选择走进森林氧吧，在优美的生态环境中畅游，在传统文化的熏陶中随想感悟。 看江景，走五山，成为南通市民的生活日常。我们注重引导市民游客加入守护五山生态的火热实践中来。五山滨江沿线被打造成“感悟沧桑巨变”的精品学习线路，以多种形式宣传“绿水青山就是金山银山”的理念。 我也把家安在了森林公园旁。漫步其间，空气清新，鸟语花香，一派人与自然和谐共生的和美景象。我感到幸福，也感到自豪，我是建设者、见证者，更是受益者。 （光明日报记者 苏雁、刘已粲采访整理） 《光明日报》（ 2023年01月11日 05版） 1分快3地图 |
