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.
2023年春运开启 广东逾6.2万名志愿者温暖相伴旅客回家路****** 中新网广州1月7日电 (王坚 岳青)2023年春运于7日拉开帷幕。当日,在广州南站、白云机场、深圳北站、湛江徐闻港……广东各大机场、车站都活跃着服务春运“暖冬行动”志愿者的身影。志愿者们为旅客提供购票辅助、进出站指引、特殊旅客服务等帮助,用热忱的服务温暖春运回家路。据统计,春运开始前,全省各地共青团组织就开始提前研究部署,共招募超6.2万名储备志愿者。 自共青团中央发起“暖冬行动”以来,共青团广东省委、广东省应急管理厅、广东省志愿者联合会等单位连续9年实施广东志愿者服务春运“暖冬行动”,共招募超42.4万志愿者参与春运志愿服务,累计贡献志愿服务时长超246万小时。 梅州青年志愿者在加油站的情暖驿站开展春运服务 岳青 摄今年的暖冬行动仍由各级共青团组织协调配合有关部门单位,组织动员广大青年志愿者和志愿服务组织及团体,依托各地的火车站、机场、港口码头、道路客运站、高速公路服务区等重要场所,从春运旅客普遍需求出发,重点围绕疫情防控宣传提醒、咨询指引、票务协助等实际需求,提供精准化、专业化服务,推广重点群体特色志愿服务项目,提升出行便利性。 广东作为全国春运第一大省,保障任务繁重。春运开始前,全省各地共青团组织就开始提前研究部署,共招募超6.2万名储备志愿者。春运首日,全省21个地市均已启动广东志愿者服务春运“暖冬行动”。据统计,春运期间全省各级共青团组织在全省296个重点交通场站,设置超1424个春运志愿服务岗位,助力旅客温暖回家。 其中,铁路方面,共青团广东省委联动广铁集团重点保障广州南站、深圳北站等枢纽,在全省其他55个火车站精确设置候车引导、换乘指引、购(退)票指导等超278个志愿服务岗位。 阳江青年志愿者在汽车客运站为旅客服务 岳青 摄同时,在全省6个民用机场,志愿者在旅客到达大厅、出发大厅值机岛、安检候检区入口、GTC综合交通大楼等地设置22个常态化志愿服务岗位值守,开展特殊旅客登机、协助行李装卸、办理自助登机手续、路线引导、航班信息咨询等工作。 此外,全省85个客运站,志愿者分布在售票大厅、安检区、候车室等服务点,为旅客解答票务信息、班车线路、微信购票等各种疑问,并帮助有需要的旅客提拿行李和维持站场秩序。(完)
|