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.
四川:上万名铁路建设者返岗复工 高铁建设稳步推进******
(新春走基层)四川:上万名铁路建设者返岗复工 高铁建设稳步推进
中新网成都2月3日电 (刘忠俊)2月3日,四川成自宜、成达万高铁以及成兰铁路等重点铁路项目工地上万名建设者返岗复工,工地上机器轰鸣,一派繁忙景象。
成都经达州至重庆万州高铁(下称:“成达万高铁”)是我国“八纵八横”高铁网沿江通道的重要组成部分,涪江特大桥位于四川遂宁市境内,全长5585.4米,主桥为双塔双索面钢混结合梁斜拉桥,桥梁主跨305米,是成达万高铁控制性工程之一。
成自宜高铁成都双线特大桥至天府站区间工人们正在铺设轨道。 刘忠俊 摄中新网记者走进成达万高铁涪江特大桥施工现场,工人师傅们紧张操作着10多台旋挖钻机、履带吊、汽车吊等进行施工作业,全力抢抓河道枯水黄金期。“涪江特大桥横跨1300米涪江江面,要赶在汛期前完成水下施工。”中铁十七局成达万高铁6标段二工区经理王俊俊称,汛期来临涪江水位将上涨,给水下施工增加难度。“力争在汛期前完成大桥水下部分施工,这也是项目部2023年最重要的节点。”
正在加紧建设的天府高铁站。 刘忠俊 摄2023年即将建成通车的成都经自贡至宜宾高铁(下称:“成自宜高铁”)全面进入铺轨、四电、站房的最后冲刺阶段,记者在成自宜高铁成都双线特大桥至天府站区间看到,60余名施工人员正在进行布枕、铺设轨排、安装配件等作业,并以每天300米至500米的速度推进。“工地全部复工,正在进行成自宜高铁成都段的铺轨作业。”中铁十九局成自高铁7标铺轨项目部周忠坤称,后续将增加至300人左右,力争6月30日实现轨通。
成自宜高铁龙泉山隧道内工人师傅们正在进行无砟轨排的吊装等作业。天府高铁站位于成都市天府新区兴隆湖以东,车站采用“站房高架+站场高架”设计理念,为12台22线。庞大的工地上耸立着18台塔吊正不停转动,下方穿着橙色背心的工人在工地上穿行,他们搭建钢架、或绑扎钢筋,开展混凝土浇筑作业忙个不停。与此同时,成自宜高铁龙泉山隧道里两台小型吊车正来回穿行,不停地调运浇筑使用的无砟轨排,工人们正在为新一轮的无砟轨排浇筑作业做好准备工作。
涪江特大桥施工现场工人师傅正在焊接钢筋笼。 刘忠俊 摄“正根据现有资料,提前准备施工方案和摸清地下管线情况,确保施工顺利进行。”成都至重庆高铁成都站建设现场,中铁八局成都车站站房项目总工程师胡涛正和同事们一同研讨站房过境道路施工前期准备工作细节。“既有区域拆除工作完成是确保后续施工实施的先决条件。”胡涛称,目前拆除已进入第二阶段,即拆除既有的第1至第4股道,并将第5股道打围。拆除完成后,成都站南站房及南广场施工将提上日程。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |