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.
广东惠州罗仕辉从警32年 “你好110!”说了数十万次****** 图为罗仕辉在110平台上工作。 胡子聪 摄 中新网惠州1月11日电 (熊伟 胡子聪宋秀杰)“你好110!”连日来,被誉为广东惠州市公安机关“十佳指挥员”称号的罗仕辉坚守110岗位20年,说了“你好110!”数十万次的先进事迹被中央、省市媒体“曝光”后,受到当地民众的赞扬。 据了解,罗仕辉,现在惠州市大亚湾区公安局情指大队指挥调度中队工作。他从警32年来,共获嘉奖13次,2019年荣获惠州市公安机关“十佳指挥员”称号。 2003年3月份,他加入110指挥调度战线,从一名普通接警员干起,日均接警200余起,满意率一直保持在98%以上。他涚,110接处警台承担着接警、指令、信息报送等工作,也是警民之间的“连心线”。每一通电话响起,背后都是一个急需“化险为夷”的现场。 2020年6月,在广惠高速往惠州方向望牛岭隧道处发生一起山体滑坡及道路塌方事故,有多辆车被压土方下面。正在值班的罗仕辉接警后,立即逐级报告责任领导部门、值班室,并按照应急预案快速指令精准指挥,不到一个1小时,被困人员全部被解救,脱离生命危险。 图为罗仕辉在110平台上工作。 胡子聪 摄 “群众遇到问题,就想到打电话给110,这是对我们最大的信任。这份信任,我当然不能辜负。”罗仕辉认为110接警员的职责和使命就是要延伸民众对公安机关的信任,而自己就是那一座桥。 2016年5月,罗仕辉接到一位女孩要轻生的电话,他不停地安慰、劝导。后来,他通过对话判断出女孩的身份,并以“老大哥”身份进行推心置腹地交谈。经过半个小时耐心劝导,女孩心情逐渐平复。在罗仕辉的协调下,派出所民警迅速找到该女孩叔叔一起在派出所对其进行劝解,最终使其放弃轻生的念想。因此,罗仕辉因而被同事们称为110的暖男,称赞他总有办法让电话另一端痛不欲生的人打开心扉。 罗仕辉说,日常接警中,接线员都会遇到一些类似的案例,这种情况通常被称为自杀干扰类报警,说明报警人还是有犹豫的想法存在,往往就是这一念之差干扰了报案人的情绪,这个时候跟他们对话的人就十分关键,“而我们所要做的就是用耐心和温暖去融化那颗绝望的心。” 罗仕辉就像一头“老黄牛”般在平凡岗位上,既是战斗员,也是指挥员,勤勤恳恳、埋头苦干、默默奉献,随时为群众排忧解难。(完) (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |