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.
高手云集!2022/2023全国花样滑冰锦标赛开赛******
中新网1月11日电 据中国花样滑冰协会消息,11日下午,2022/2023全国花样滑冰锦标赛在河北承德冰上运动中心启幕。这是2023年举办的首场全国性花样滑冰赛事,也是时隔三年首个回归线下的全国性花滑赛事,比赛吸引了众多高手参加。
本届赛事为期三天,1月12日将决出男子单人滑冠军,女子单人滑、双人滑和冰舞项目的冠军则将于1月13日出炉。
中国花样滑冰协会主席申雪表示,全国锦标赛既是国内高水平花样滑冰运动员检验、展示训练成果的舞台,也已经成为冰雪爱好者每个赛季最期待的赛事活动之一。本届全国锦标赛是本赛季首个回归线下的全国性花滑赛事,必将点燃选手和冰迷的热情,让这场冰上盛会更加生动,更加精彩。
男子单人滑方面,18岁小将陈昱东将向个人首个全锦赛冠军发起冲击。随着年龄和阅历增长,他的训练和比赛状态在不断提升。韩文宝和姜智敖在不久前的全国青年锦标赛上分获亚军和季军,他们的表现同样值得期待。此外,梅格睿祺、于之乐等选手也将力争奉献精彩表演。他们均在南方城市生活、训练,近年来进步明显。
女子单人滑赛场,卫冕冠军安香怡在本赛季完成了国际赛场首秀,在国际滑联青年组大奖赛波兰站中获得第五名的好成绩,两套节目《小丑登场》《万物理论》也颇具看点。上届全锦赛亚军陈虹伊将再次登场,金书贤、王芓乔、程佳盈等一批表演风格突出的小选手同样是奖牌的有力争夺者。
双人滑项目,张思阳/杨泳超将参加他们搭档后的第一届全锦赛。张思阳曾是一名优秀的女单运动员,滑行技术突出,杨泳超曾和之前的搭档获得上届全锦赛亚军,技术扎实,大赛经验也很丰富。另一对组合杨易溪/邓舜阳本赛季以赛代练,收获了包括国际滑联青年组大奖赛波兰站第五名、全国青年锦标赛冠军、俱乐部联赛总决赛青年组冠军在内的诸多好成绩。此外,上届全锦赛青年组选手王慧蒂/贾梓麒,张嘉轩/黄一航、孙优美/李泽恩、王韵杰/刘赫霖等新面孔也将在本次比赛中亮相。
冰上舞蹈方面,上届全锦赛青年组冠军陈溪梓/邢珈宁将力争站上最高领奖台。同样在上届全锦赛出战青年组比赛的李宣潼/王新康、曹路唱/陈建旭等年轻选手将在本赛季完成升组比赛,积累经验,展示训练成果。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)