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。
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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。
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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.
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四川:春节期间将组织开展2000余场(次)文化旅游活动****** 中新网成都1月16日电 (记者 岳依桐)记者16日从四川省政府新闻办在成都举行的“欢乐川味年——安逸相伴 乐游四川”新闻发布会获悉,春节期间,四川文旅系统将组织开展艺术展演、文博展览、群众文化、非遗传承、消费促进等六大类2000余场(次)文旅活动。 据介绍,为促进文旅消费升级,四川各地将以非遗代表性项目为依托,线上线下开展1600余场(次)群众文化活动和民俗节庆活动;开展国省“村晚”示范展示活动,用农民自编自导、自演自赏的春节联欢会,唱身边事,演身边人,道家乡美,赞新生活;四川非遗馆将举办“安逸四川——非遗过大年”非遗传承实践活动600余场,集中展出一批与年俗相关的非遗代表性项目和传承人代表性作品。 四川全省文艺院团将采取线上线下相结合的方式,组织开展210余场文艺展演活动,内容涵盖川剧、舞剧、话剧、歌曲、舞蹈等近20个艺术门类约2000台(个)文艺作品。同时,四川文博场馆将组织开展200余场文博展览及配套活动,四川省207家公共图书馆、206家文化馆都将全部免费开放,春节七天“不打烊”。 ![]() 为全方位促进文旅消费,四川各地还将发放文化和旅游专项消费券,推出景区门票减免、酒店民宿优惠等系列文化旅游惠民举措。四川省21个市(州)联动,配套推出“欢乐星期五”——文化和旅游打卡日系列消费活动,在每周五向消费者发放文旅消费券。 另外,阿坝、甘孜、凉山和攀枝花的国有4A级及以上旅游景区实行“门票买一送一”、国有4A级以下旅游景区门票全免的优惠政策,绵阳开展“一元游绵阳,万张门票等你抢”活动,广元剑门关景区推出完整背诵《蜀道难》免费领门票活动,其他市(州)结合实际实施本地优惠政策,全省共有144家国家4A级及以上旅游景区实施景区门票减免或买一赠一等优惠政策,让“冬游四川”热度不减。 在精心策划推出“趣享新春”“欢享冰雪”“畅享温泉”“天府手造”“悠享美宿”“夜间嘉年华”等六大系列新春文化旅游消费促进活动外,四川还推出系列主题旅游资源及线路,包括年俗非遗闹新春线路、趣游蜀地博物馆线路、潮玩天府正当时线路、天府旅游美食吃不停线路、跟着诗词游天府线路等。 通过特色创新打造当代新年俗,是文旅活动的“新”特点之一。四川省文化和旅游厅副厅长严飒爽说,传统与现代相得益彰,数字科技融入传统民俗应用在新年场景中,借助旅游业与互联网、科技的融合,让传统年味有了更加潮流化的表达,唤醒新一代年节记忆。(完)
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