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。
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.
台湾禁售大陆一款零食后萧亚轩“正在偷吃”照流出 绿媒反应******
【环球网报道】螺蛳粉之后,台“经济部”17日又宣布大陆“黄飞红麻辣花生”不准输入台湾。就在此时,台湾女星萧亚轩19日被流出“偷吃黄飞红麻辣花生”的截图,对此,岛内亲绿媒体《自由时报》有点酸,称“陆制花生有那么好吃?”该媒体还引述萧亚轩经纪人的说法,称该截图并非现在的,是几年前的。
据台湾中时新闻网报道,近日因大陆一款螺蛳粉包装上的文字引发议论,台“经济部长”王美花17日称,市面上的螺蛳粉“不是走私就是虚报”,将要求下架。此外其他大陆零食也被波及,其中“黄飞红麻辣花生”也不准输入台湾,台“经济部”要求相关平台下架。
亲绿的《自由时报》报道称,微博网友19日流传的一张截图中,萧亚轩疑似是在粉丝聊天群与粉丝互动,她先是发出一包已开封的“黄飞红麻辣花生”照片,接着称自己“正在偷吃”。对于这个话题,该媒体在新闻标题中酸称,“陆制花生有那么好吃?”
该媒体还称,萧亚轩的发言引起大陆网友评论:“想吃就吃,不用偷吃”、“萧亚轩,够意思,欢迎来大陆开演唱会参加综艺节目”。报道转而又引述台媒报道称,萧亚轩的经纪人回应说该截图并非现在的,而是几年前的。
据台湾ETtoday新闻云报道,萧亚轩近年将事业重心转移到大陆,参加不少综艺节目,后来因于2021年2月被爱犬咬伤脸,不得已在家休养了一年多,直到去年现身第33届台湾金曲奖颁奖典礼,宣布回归台湾歌坛。
此前,《自由时报》等岛内媒体炒作,鼓吹“台独”的台湾“基进党”台南市议员李宗霖爆料大陆“统战食品渗透台湾”。缘由是近期有一款由台南代理商代理的大陆螺蛳粉食品输入到台湾,包装上出现文字“你是中国人,我也是中国人,四舍五入一下,你就是我的人”。李宗霖声称这些文字“统战意味浓厚”,建议下架。对此,有岛内网友当时讽刺道:好可怕哦,买包螺蛳粉来吃就会被“统战”了?
台“经济部”宣布要求下架大陆螺蛳粉后,又有更多的大陆零食受到了限制,如“黄飞红麻辣花生”也确定不准输入台湾,将要求相关平台下架,至于很多台湾人爱吃的大陆零食“魔芋爽”,目前则是开放有条件“进口”。台“经济部”17日晚声称,“黄飞红麻辣花生”之所以不能“进口”,是因为台湾有生产花生产品,为了“保护”岛内产业,因此将比照螺蛳粉,禁止在台湾销售。
台湾中时电子报17日称,螺蛳粉是广西特色小吃,台湾北部比较有名的螺蛳粉店,开在包括新北永和、台北万华等地。台湾东森新闻网称,台北市的螺蛳粉店生意并未受到影响,用餐民众依旧大排长龙。有人表示,只要东西好吃,“管它从哪进口”。(环球网)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)