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.
澳门广西青年联谊会会长：培养澳门青年家国情怀 助其实现理想抱负****** 中新网南宁1月16日电(杨陈 陈沿佑)“我们非常重视对澳门青年的爱国主义教育及其身心发展，通过培养他们的家国情怀，凝聚青春力量，助力他们在奋斗中实现个人理想和抱负。”广西政协委员、澳门广西青年联谊会会长何凝莹此间表示。 1月11日至17日，广西“两会”在南宁举行。何凝莹在会期接受了中新网记者采访。 “青年是社会的未来栋梁。”自2019年当选澳门广西青年联谊会(以下称广青会)会长以来，何凝莹一直致力于开展有益青年成长的活动与交流合作，助力桂澳青年在社会不同领域发挥积极作用。“我希望能为青年做实事，为青年自身培养及事业发展添砖加瓦。” 何凝莹介绍，开展青年工作很重要一点，是要加强澳门青年的自身建设。2022年，广青会举办了“中共百年历史与‘一国两制’的关系”交流会，通过重温党提出“一国两制”方针和特区建立以及发展的历史，让澳门青年人了解党解决历史遗留问题的胆识、魄力和领导力，以及香港、澳门如何在党领导下走上最符合实际情况的发展道路，增强澳门青年的国家观念，培养其爱国爱党爱桂精神。 “我们希望在加强澳门青年自身建设的同时，加强提升青年对祖国的认同感、归属感和民族自豪感，树立为国家建设和‘一国两制’方针贡献力量的决心和信心，凝聚每一股青年力量。”何凝莹说。 为培养澳门青年的家国情怀，近年来，广青会多次组织澳门青年前往内地的红色教育基地及国家行政学院实地考察学习，让青年人深入了解祖国及党的发展历史和文化背景，培养正确的大局观。 在何凝莹看来，红色文化传承是铸牢中华民族共同体意识的重要因素。广青会组织澳门青年实地考察内地及广西经济发展情况及现代化建设，既可以帮助他们增广见闻，又提供了桂澳两地青年交流的平台，以便澳门青年挖掘共享内地发展机遇。 过去三年，受疫情影响全球经济下行，青年人对自身发展感到忧虑。“如今随着疫情逐渐开放，我们很希望能做些实际的青年工作。”何凝莹介绍，2023年，广青会将连同澳门广西社团联合总会和其他桂籍社团，重新启动“饮水思源”考察团，以大藤峡水利枢纽工程为切入点，让广大澳门青年认识该工程，了解祖国和广西对澳门社会的关怀与贡献，加深青年爱国情怀。与此同时，“饮水思源”考察团还将实地考察广西企业，寻找商机。 “澳门的经济在过去相对发展比较单一，特区政府正大力推动澳门经济适度多元发展。我们希望发挥广青会的平台作用，带动澳门青年到广西多交流、多学习，发掘合作机会。同时也希望可以引进广西的人才到澳门发展，携手推进桂澳两地经济社会持续高质量发展。”何凝莹说。(完) 彩云网地图 |
