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.
浙江省两会启幕 拼经济、强科创、抓教育等成热词******
中新网杭州1月11日电(郭其钰)1月11日,浙江省政协十三届一次会议开幕前举行“委员通道”集中采访活动,5位政协委员走上通道畅谈履职心声,传递民情民意。由此拉开了今年浙江省两会的序幕。
在经济大省浙江,民营经济是浙江经济的最大特色和最大优势。作为民营企业家,浙江省政协委员、浙江万丰科技开发股份有限公司董事长吴锦华对浙商精神颇有感触。
“我来自浙商家庭,父母是创一代,我是创二代,老一辈浙商敢闯敢干敢试的拼搏创新精神时刻激励着我,他们的创业精神和家国情怀已融入我血液之中。”吴锦华说。
当前,民营企业如何提振信心、抢抓机遇、拓展市场?吴锦华以万丰集团为例介绍,近年来该企业抢抓数字经济发展机遇,建设智慧工厂,实现数据信息系统纵向集成,产品生产周期由原来45小时缩减为15小时。
信心贵比黄金。目前,浙江组织千团万企“出海”抢订单、拓市场,这让吴锦华对民营经济发展充满信心。“我们也有很多海外客户,他们春节后也要来浙江走一走、看一看,订单意向强烈。”
科技是国之利器,国家赖之以强,企业赖之以赢,人民生活赖之以好。
浙江省政协委员、西湖大学副校长仇旻介绍,西湖大学作为一所新型研究型大学,成立4年来引进211位世界一流科学家,包括建立了一支以20余名国家和省级特聘专家为核心的微纳光电系统研究团队。
“浙江各级党委政府对科技创新表现出极大热忱,许多地方向我们表示了合作意愿,共同提升科技产业的集聚力和竞争力。”仇旻认为,党委政府的格局、眼光、魄力,加上浙江发达的民营经济和市场力量,将不断提升区域创新能力。
其表示,西湖大学将直面国家和地方核心战略需求,集聚力量进行原创性引领性科技攻关。西湖大学的每一位教授、每一个人都像一粒光子,不断集聚、激发,为科技创新发展贡献智慧力量。
“前不久一个朋友电话咨询,他的孩子后年上小学,他说在大家的认知中,感觉家附近的小学不够优秀,咨询有什么渠道可以到所谓的‘更优秀’学校。”这是浙江省政协委员、杭州第十四中学校长陈利民在“委员通道”上讲述的故事。
教育是关乎千家万户的民生工程。当前,教育基本均衡——有学上的问题基本解决,教育优质均衡——上好学校的品质追求呼声日隆。
陈利民介绍,杭州一方面通过区域集团化办学,在理念、师资、课程、文化等方面深度融合,在高水平动态发展中逐步缩小区域和学校间发展差距。另一方面探索创新合作共建办学机制,通过管理共进、师资共育、教学共研、资源共享、学生互动等方式,加大名校示范辐射引领作用。
在陈利民看来,“上最合适的学校,上家门口的好学校”,这是办好人民满意教育的题中之义,也是对“教育共富”最朴素的理解。
有事好商量,众人的事情由众人商量,是人民民主的真谛。如何更好履职也是委员们关注的焦点。
当日“委员通道”上,浙江省政协委员、衢州市政协主席方健忠介绍,衢州一方面让委员走进基层、走进群众,当地1708名省市县三级政协委员全部下沉到乡镇的委员履职小组,把群众反映的“问题清单”变成“履职清单”。另一方面让群众就近参与和充分表达,衢州103个乡镇(街道)实现“民生议事堂”全覆盖,95%以上村(社区)设立了“协商驿站”,协商平台搭到了群众家门口。
市县政协“开门是群众,出门是基层”。浙江正不断推动政协协商向基层延伸,深入践行全过程人民民主。
浙江省政协委员,丽水市畲凤非遗工坊主理人、畲凤民族服饰展示馆馆长兰金美。 张煜欢 摄临近春节,浙江省政协委员,丽水市畲凤非遗工坊主理人、畲凤民族服饰展示馆馆长兰金美,将一只融合了畲绣技艺的“民族团结兔”带上了“委员通道”。
两年前,她在丽水古堰画乡开设了畲凤非遗工坊。兰金美表示,“这间小小的非遗共富工坊,不仅是姐妹们聚会交流、手工制作的地方,也是传播民族文化、宣传中华民族共同体的精神家园。”
“作为一名非遗传承人,让文化融入日常,让传统接轨现代,把民族的变成世界的,这是我一直的追求。”兰金美说。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |