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.
通讯:用消费“拉满”市场信心的北疆内蒙古******
中新网呼和浩特1月12日电 题: 用消费“拉满”市场信心的北疆内蒙古
中新网记者李爱平
兔年春节的脚步越来越近,中国北疆内蒙古自治区正在谋划用消费“拉满”市场信心。
12日,在此间召开的内蒙古自治区十四届人大一次会议上,内蒙古自治区主席王莉霞表示,必须把恢复和扩大消费摆在优先位置,当务之急是让商业街、步行街、大商场、小商铺都开起来、旺起来……”
记者近日走访内蒙古多地发现,随着春节临近,民众在做好个人防护的前提下,已纷纷前往商场、超市购物,很多人轿车后备厢都堆着满满的年货。
在内蒙古首府城市呼和浩特,连日来,随着购物热潮的降临,大街上甚至出现了交通拥堵。市民李德说,“这才是城市应有的样子。”
近期内蒙古在提振消费过程中,除了购物外,多地举行的各类冰雪活动也“拉满”了这个冬天的激情。
稍早前,呼和浩特官方就对外宣布了今冬要把冬季旅游与春节、元宵节等传统节日相结合,推出3大主题40多项内容丰富、形式多样的冬季文化旅游体育系列活动。
在提振消费层面,内蒙古官方正在出台一系列举措。
内蒙古自治区十四届人大一次会议透露,内蒙古今年将规划建设一批消费集聚区、体验中心和城郊大仓,支持呼和浩特、包头、鄂尔多斯、赤峰、通辽建设消费中心城市,在盟市中心城区设立互贸进口商品展示店,大力发展潮流夜市、民生早市、城乡集市消费场景,积极招引国内外知名品牌开设首店、举办首发活动,力争新引进品牌首店100家。
除此外,今年内蒙古还将全力争取阿尔山国家级旅游度假区获批,全力创建莫尔格勒河、七星湖等5A级景区,培育敕勒川、康巴什、额济纳等8个文旅产业融合发展示范区,打造10条非遗特色精品旅游线路和一批非遗特色村镇街区。
内蒙古人大代表应洪巨表示,旅游也是内蒙古用消费“拉满”市场信心的最好方式。
“特别是像那达慕这样的活动要红红火火搞起来,用歌舞的海洋、乳肉的飘香、壮美的风光把天南海北的游客吸引过来,让内蒙古成为自驾游的首选地、露营游的佳选地、度假游的必选地、康养游的优选地。”王莉霞在作政府工作报告时如是表示。
“旅游是永远的朝阳产业,也是典型的消费经济,关键是把品质提起来、名气打出去、人气聚上来。”王莉霞介绍,今年,内蒙古要集中打造几个在全国叫得响、在市场立得住的景区,把最美的草原林海、沙漠瀚海、长河大湖、冰天雪地都做出产品、做成精品,创造更多文旅融合的看点、亮点、卖点,做到从东到西全域皆可游、春夏秋冬全年无淡季。
分析人士认为,用消费“拉满”市场信心的内蒙古,旅游经济必须浓墨重彩,扮演重要角色。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)