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.
村里开起“议事会”:“村BA”火了,下一步咋干?******
新时代新征程新伟业|村里开起“议事会”:“村BA”火了,下一步咋干?
新华社贵阳11月25日电题:村里开起“议事会”:“村BA”火了,下一步咋干?
新华社记者蒋成
“希望‘村BA’能实实在在地带动村子发展”“能不能开好赛事,同时也做点青年培训”……初冬时节,天气转寒,贵州省黔东南苗族侗族自治州台江县台盘村村委会会议室里的讨论气氛却非常热烈。
11月16日一大早,台盘村迎来一批特殊的客人——学习贯彻党的二十大精神贵州省委宣讲团。上午10点,宣讲会准时开始,20多位村民代表和宣讲团成员面对面直接交流。
会议室外的村委会大院,围着一处宽阔的篮球场。“现场亲眼看过‘村BA’的球场,火热的篮球征战场面还历历在目啊。”贵州省委宣讲团成员、省委宣传部常务副部长谢念以此为话头开场。
台盘村是一个苗族村寨,全村272户1186人,92%是苗族。今年夏天,由当地村民举办的乡村篮球赛由于观众氛围异常火热,引起网络关注,被网友亲切地称为“村BA”。
“2020年,台盘村71户294人贫困人口全部脱贫。如今,台盘村又迈出了乡村振兴的新步伐。我们今天就一起从党的二十大报告里找一找咱村未来发展的‘指南针’。”谢念结合入村所见,将报告中与台盘村息息相关的内容进行了逐条阐释,“‘促进群众体育和竞技体育全面发展’‘全面推进乡村振兴’‘统筹乡村基础设施和公共服务布局’……报告里这些重要部署,就是贵州省、台江县、台盘村发展的新思路、新契机!”
村民们听得聚精会神,而当宣讲团讲到“如何将党的二十大精神贯彻落实到台盘村”时,大家讨论的热情高涨。
今年38岁的村民岑江龙是台盘村篮球协会会长,也是乡村篮球赛的组织者之一。听了宣讲,岑江龙深有感触地说:“我们村有浓厚的体育文化,这些年一直举办乡村篮球赛,下一步咱们怎么能把体育做成突破口让村子富起来?”
针对这个问题,一同前来宣讲的台江县委书记陈震接过话茬。他说,近些年,台盘村依托乡土体育文化和少数民族文化,加强体育与旅游的融合发展,是一条很好的路子。现在台盘村的“村BA”就是一块好招牌,今后台盘村可以继续办好篮球赛事,发展休闲旅游,也可以探索青少年篮球研学、培训等,带动周边餐饮、住宿产业发展,让老百姓的腰包鼓起来。
感受到交流的坦诚氛围,60岁的村民李正奎也讲出自己的担忧和期盼。“村BA”火起来以后,游客一下子增加了,但村里还没有像样的民宿、宾馆,基础设施也不健全。李正奎说:“希望‘村BA’能实实在在地带动村子发展,把绿化、亮化搞一搞,开几家具有咱们苗族风情的民宿,让游客有个休息的地方。”
在篮球场附近开饭店的杨斌也有自己的盘算。今年七八月份举办“村BA”的那段时间,杨斌店里的生意非常好,但是比赛结束后就没了客人。“现在一年到头只能做两个月的热闹生意,比赛能不能长期办?这样我们开饭店也有固定客源。”杨斌说。
对村民提出的意见和想法,宣讲团成员和当地干部仔细记录,逐一进行解答。
“比赛火热起来以后,有很多问题应该提上日程。党的二十大提出,统筹乡村基础设施和公共服务布局,建设宜居宜业和美乡村。县里给我们村定了发展的方向,就是全力打造以‘村BA’为核心的农文旅体融合示范区,让和美乡村的目标更加清晰。”台盘村驻村第一书记张德说。
对村民关心的普遍性问题,宣讲中也给予了回应。“比赛火爆也暴露出球场观众席、卫生间、停车场等不足的短板。咱台盘村先后召开4次村民代表大会进行讨论。根据村民意见,篮球场基本保持原味呈现,只在安全性、舒适性上做了加法。”张德边说边打开手边的工作手册,把下一步争取申办贵州省乡村篮球赛决赛,以及村里将发展枇杷、金秋梨、黄牛等产业的计划等向村民代表和盘托出。
他认真细致的回答换来在场村民的频频点头和阵阵掌声。近两个小时的宣讲会在愉快的氛围中结束,一些村民不愿离去,继续与村干部畅谈着台盘村的未来。
临近中午,天气更晴,球场上洒满阳光。从村委会会议室望出去,刚改扩建完成的“村BA”篮球场面貌焕然一新,更衣室、卫生间、沐浴室、会客间一应俱全……这一切仿佛正在等待着一场规模更加盛大的赛事到来。(新华网)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)