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.
“村界杯”，对全民体育的生动诠释****** “春节期间，江苏徐州沛县八堡村的足球比赛在当地火了，每天都有十里八乡的村民来观赛……烤红薯等商业配套也跟过来了，停车都停不下来。村民也都不打牌了，都出来看比赛。”据1月31日澎湃新闻网报道，这是《人民日报》在春节期间发布的一段微博，当时还配发了“村界杯”比赛的画面。这条微博很快爆火，央视新闻频道也进行了题为“小小乡村足球赛，千人欢聚过大年”的报道。 2022年篮球“村BA”火了，2023年足球“村界杯”也要火？近年来，即便在国内足球联赛上，也很难见到如此火爆的比赛场景。乡村草根足球比赛虽然专业水平不高，但胜在人气旺，民间基础好，群众参与度高，村民观赏热情足，可谓真正的群众体育。 据介绍，这座足球场是2019年由当地政府建成后向老百姓免费开放的。三年来，踢球的队伍越来越多，最终形成了“村界杯”比赛。今年，除沛县当地球队及徐州市其他地区球队外，还有来自山东的球队参加，活动影响力越来越大。可见，免费足球场地的存在，不仅激发了村民踢球的兴趣，也助推了当地足球运动的火热和“村界杯”的兴起。 “村界杯”名声大噪，村民都来围观比赛，带火了“商业配套”，形成了良性循环，甚至吸引了周边学校的小球员观赛。当地知名足球运动员也在回家过年时，去现场观看了“村界杯”，为参赛球员加油助威，发微博宣传家乡足球活动。 这种自发组织的民间草根足球比赛，丰富了村民的业余文化，促进了群众体育的发展，还有助于鼓励更多人参与足球运动。从去年的篮球“村BA”，到今年的足球“村界杯”，这种原生态的基层体育活动，不仅在线下受到村民和球迷的欢迎，在网上也受到诸多网友的追捧，还原了乡村野生体育项目特色，展现了全民体育的生机活力。 “村界杯”的火爆，展现出了一种别样的竞技姿态，赛场上群众对足球的真挚热爱，令人动容。这样的赛事，点燃了公众对足球运动的热情，在民间播下了中国足球的种子。那些充满激情的奔跑和呐喊，或许正孕育着中国足球、乃至中国体育的未来。 我们为“村BA”“村界杯”喝彩，不仅是被群众的运动热情所感染，也是为全民体育鼓劲，为中国体育的未来加油。期待这股力量和精气神能继续传递下去，带动各地更好地发展全民体育，增加基层体育设施和资源投入，让群众拥有更多的免费体育活动场所，畅快淋漓地运动起来。(江德斌) (来源：工人日报 2023年02月02日 05版) 盈彩网投资平台地图 |
