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.
“小三通”复航后便利往来 台胞要求尽快全面恢复两岸正常交流****** 新华社厦门1月29日电(记者石龙洪 许雪毅)1月7日部分复航以来，中断近3年的两岸“小三通”客运航线平稳有序运行。记者从福建省台港澳办获悉，截至29日，厦门到金门航线46航次运载3000余人次，福州到马祖航线10航次运载230余人次。 “我度过了一个幸福满满的春节。”在厦门工作的金门乡亲卢莉莉通过“小三通”返乡，一家人吃团圆饭，共度佳节，其乐融融。“这次终于可以便捷回家过年，家人都超开心。”她说。 “经‘小三通’往返只需300多元人民币，而绕道岛内转机需花费上万元。”年前，金门乡亲李汉强带孩子经“小三通”来福建探亲。他表示，希望“小三通”尽快常态化运行，这是台湾同胞的共同愿望。 2020年2月，民进党当局以防疫为借口单方面暂停“小三通”。在台湾社会各界持续强烈呼吁下，台行政管理机构去年底通过“金马地区民众春节交通专案”，允许在春节前后一个月期间以专案方式申请航班，但限定航班数量，且仅限金门、马祖民众及当地大陆配偶申请，在大陆的广大台商台胞被排除在外，台湾舆论批评其为“只做半套”。 大陆方面持续推动“小三通”复航。1月28日、29日，中共中央台办、国务院台办主任宋涛在厦门了解“小三通”部分复航情况，慰问经“小三通”往返厦金的台胞，走访厦门台协和台资企业，与在闽台胞台企代表座谈，听取意见建议。 宋涛表示，习近平总书记在新年贺词中希望两岸同胞相向而行、携手并进，共创中华民族绵长福祉。我们要贯彻落实党的二十大精神和习近平总书记关于对台工作的重要论述，在推进民族复兴和祖国统一进程中，始终尊重、关爱、造福台湾同胞。要和平、要发展，要交流、要合作，是两岸同胞的共同心声。当前，大陆疫情已得到很好的控制，台湾同胞完全可以安心前来学习、工作、创业、生活。两岸同胞对实现正常交流往来的意愿强烈，我们高度重视并已全面做好相关准备。以疫情为借口阻挡两岸交流违背民意，不得人心，应尽快全面恢复“小三通”和两岸民众正常交流往来。 “大陆持续努力推动‘小三通’复航，关心照顾台商台胞的发展和生活。我们深受感动，更坚定了扎根大陆的信心。”厦门台协荣誉会长吴家莹表示。 “民进党当局开放‘小三通’只做‘半套’，大陆台商台胞非常不满。”厦门台协会长韩萤焕表示，我们强烈呼吁民进党当局尽快全面恢复“小三通”和两岸直航航点，恢复两岸正常交流往来。 台湾青年范姜锋表示，两岸同胞是一家人，两岸青年需要交流合作。民进党当局应取消对两岸交流往来的所有限制，为谋政治私利不惜损害台胞利益，只会遭到民意背弃。 彩票驿站地图 |
