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.
以发展创造机遇 习近平再释中国改革开放决心****** (中共二十大·观察)以发展创造机遇 习近平再释中国改革开放决心 中新社北京10月23日电 题:以发展创造机遇 习近平再释中国改革开放决心 中新社记者 王恩博 李晓喻 “我们将坚定不移全面深化改革开放,坚定不移推动高质量发展,以自身发展为世界创造更多机遇。” 23日,新一届中共中央政治局常委集体亮相,同中外记者见面,中共中央总书记习近平在讲话中作如上表述。 北京专家接受中新社记者采访时表示,上述两个“坚定不移”可视为中国共产党面向未来、面向世界的宣示,对世界的疑虑和担心给出了明确答案。沿着改革开放的方向持续前进,中国发展对全球意味着无限机遇。 10月22日,中国共产党第二十次全国代表大会闭幕会在北京人民大会堂举行。 中新社记者 盛佳鹏 摄“中国发展离不开世界,世界发展也需要中国。”正如习近平在讲话中所说,回顾过去相当长一段时间,中国主动融入全球发展,在受益于此的同时,也成为世界经济增长重要的“稳定因子”。 2013—2021年,中国经济年均增长6.6%,大大高于2.6%的同期世界平均增速,也高于3.7%的发展中经济体平均增速,经济增长率居世界主要经济体前列。同期,中国对世界经济增长的平均贡献率达到38.6%,超过七国集团(G7)国家贡献率的总和,是推动世界经济增长的第一动力。 习近平指出,经过改革开放40多年不懈努力,我们创造了经济快速发展和社会长期稳定两大奇迹。现在,中国经济韧性强、潜力足、回旋余地广,长期向好的基本面不会改变。 中国人民大学国家发展与战略研究院研究员王孝松分析称,这是基于中国长期发展逻辑和当下发展现状作出的判断。走过改革开放40多年历程,今天的中国已拥有全球最完整、规模最大的工业体系,由此带来的经济回旋余地和发展潜能,是许多国家难以相比的。因此,尽管外部环境处于多事之秋,中国经济仍然能够顶住压力,不断修复。 当前,世界百年变局和世纪疫情交织,单边主义、保护主义抬头,经济全球化遭遇逆流。越是暗流涌动的时刻,越需要负责任的大国作出表率。习近平在讲话中重申“中国开放的大门只会越来越大”。 资料图:2021年8月11日,中欧班列(西安)从西安国际港站开出,一路向西驶向哈萨克斯坦,这是陕西累计开行的第10000列中欧班列。中新社记者 张远 摄“百年变局中,中国还要不要开放,要什么样的开放,牵动着全世界目光。”清华大学中国发展规划研究院常务副院长董煜表示,“坚定不移全面深化改革开放”这个表述和习近平在中共十八大、十九大时的讲话一脉相承,体现了政策上的连续性和稳定性,同时也是当前国内外形势下的现实需要。 结合中共二十大报告相关表述,董煜相信,今后中国将以更大力度推进更高水平开放,尤其是规则、规制、管理、标准等制度型开放将进一步提速。 在董煜看来,这种开放将是双向的:一方面,中国将更积极与国际通行规则接轨,更主动参与全球经济治理;另一方面,也会将本国管理、标准等方面经过实践检验的优秀成果与全球分享。此外,在扩大进口、优化营商环境、保护外资企业合法权益等方面,预计将有更多新措施陆续出台。 对于世界而言,这无疑是个利好。王孝松表示,全面深化改革开放,推动高质量发展,将使中国产业链完整、市场规模庞大等优势得到进一步激发,进而向全世界提供更多价值链上的重要中间产品,为全球产业发展提供良好机遇。(完) 中国网客户端 国家重点新闻网站,9语种权威发布 |