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.
(新春走基层)广西南宁:老少同乐闹元宵******
中新网南宁2月4日电 (黄晓君 黄艳梅)2月3日,临近元宵佳节,广西南宁市邕宁区蒲庙镇红星社区组织居民开展包汤圆、做花灯、猜灯谜、剪窗花和点朱砂等趣味活动,数百人赏花灯、吃汤圆,老少同乐闹元宵。
小朋友在剪窗花。 黄晓君 摄在活动现场,不少家长带着小朋友一起来参加活动。“每年元宵节社区都举办活动,今年我和妈妈一起来的,我做了灯笼,猜了灯谜,还和妈妈一起包了汤圆,特别开心。”家住红星社区的周楚铠小朋友一边向记者展示自己做的红灯笼,一边开心地说。
志愿者为小朋友点朱砂痣。 黄晓君 摄社区居民一起猜灯谜。 黄晓君 摄在花灯制作的现场,有一位特殊的家长。马保辰是邕宁区蒲庙派出所的民警,这次他和同事到红星社区协办“反诈猜灯谜”活动,现场宣传反诈知识。特别的是,他的儿子和父亲当天也一同来到现场。趁着工作间隙,马保辰坐下陪儿子一起制作灯笼,他说:“儿子玩得非常开心,很难得有机会让我们祖孙三代人一起感受这样浓厚的节日氛围。”
两位老人开心地吃着汤圆,并竖起大拇指。 黄晓君 摄活动现场除了全家出动的家庭组合,还有不少高龄老人的身影,比如74岁的独居老人蔡阿姨。收到社区邀请后,蔡阿姨叫上了两位同龄好友一同来参加活动,三位阿姨坐在一起吃汤圆的画面尤为温馨。
图为活动现场。 杨巧如 摄为了让社区的高龄、独居老人能够度过一个温暖的元宵节,社区工作人员和志愿者还来到部分独居老人家中,为他们送上了热腾腾的汤圆和慰问品,同时为老人进行上门义诊,给他们送去节日的关怀和慰问。
父子俩同时举灯笼,脸上洋溢着幸福的笑容。 黄晓君 摄元宵佳节将至,红星社区不仅组织了丰富多彩的庆祝活动,还通过党建结对、志愿帮扶等形式,与结对单位合作开展现场义诊、反电信诈骗等活动,受到民众欢迎。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |