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。
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.
香港与内地本月8日实施首阶段“通关” 每日最多6万港人“北上”****** 中新社香港1月5日电 (记者 刘大炜)香港特区政府5日举行记者会公布香港与内地“通关”安排。香港特区行政长官李家超表示,自本月8日起实施首阶段“通关”安排,每日通过香港陆海空口岸单向北上内地的港人限额为6万人。 据悉,首阶段“通关”将开放7个口岸。其中,深圳湾、文锦渡、落马洲支线3个陆路口岸每日单向限额5万港人。港澳客轮码头、中国客运码头(即“中港码头”)2个海运口岸以及机场、港珠澳大桥则无人数限制,单向运力每日亦可有1万港人。 李家超表示,此次“通关”选择的口岸主要考虑地理位置方便香港市民前往内地,有的口岸因正在进行施工等原因空间较狭窄,故先安排运行其他口岸。特区政府将每日密切关注“通关”状况,后续人数安排会视实际运作而定。 特区政府政务司司长陈国基介绍“通关”安排细则时表示,首阶段开放的口岸大致分为两类,一类是可以通过售票机制管控的机场、港珠澳大桥、港澳客轮码头和中国客运码头,由于相关设施可按本身运载能力设定最高旅客处理量,因此无需设人数限制,但使用私家车或跨境出租车经港珠澳大桥过关的司机和乘客仍需经预约前往内地。另一类为陆路口岸,即深圳湾、文锦渡和落马洲支线3个口岸将恢复旅检服务并设人数限制。 陈国基指出,在港内地居民返回内地、内地港人回港均不占用“通关”名额。但无论从香港入境内地的港人,或从内地入境香港的内地人士,都必须在出行前48小时进行新冠核酸检测,结果为阴性才能入境。 关于广深港高铁何时开通,特区政府运输及物流局局长林世雄表示,高铁自通车至2020年暂停运营之间时间较短,前线工作人员需要时间恢复及熟悉工作流程,故未能于8日首阶段“通关”时恢复运营。希望高铁不迟于1月15日起恢复运作;届时来往香港西九龙站至广东福田站、深圳北站、广州南站的车次亦可恢复。 至于“通关”后的检疫安排,特区政府医务卫生局局长卢宠茂表示,建议抵港人士抵港后进行连续5天的快速抗原检测,监察自身健康状况。如在香港发现确诊,须通过卫生署上报系统进行上报。 此外,特区政府于当天18时推出网上预约系统,供经深圳湾、文锦渡、落马洲支线、港珠澳大桥口岸入境内地的港人预约,其中港珠澳大桥口岸预约适用于私家车或跨境出租车司机及乘客。该系统首阶段提供1月8日至3月4日共8周的预约时段。(完) (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() ![]() 三分快三地图 |