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.
【我们这十年@坐标中国】“基建狂魔”出圈,打造基建速度名场面****** 中新网北京10月10日电 题:“基建狂魔”出圈,打造基建速度名场面 记者 李金磊 中国为什么会被世界称为“基建狂魔”?看看这些名场面就明白了。 9小时改造火车站 马斯克惊叹 “基建狂魔”的速度有多快?眼睛一闭一睁,9个小时过去了,一座火车站改造完了。 这座一夜之间“换血”的火车站是福建龙岩火车站,由中铁四局施工。2018年1月19日18:30,随着现场总指挥一声令下,1500余名工人同时上阵。要在9个小时内完成火车站的大改造,施工时间非常紧张。 此次龙岩站站改拨接施工为I级封锁施工,共包含4个龙口,7个拨接工作面3组道岔拆除、3组道岔插铺的施工。机器轰鸣、火星四溅,密密麻麻的工人有条不紊分工协作,画面犹如电影大片。 最终,1月20日凌晨2点多,经过近9个小时的紧张奋战,工人们圆满完成了道岔拆铺、拢口拨接、信号换装I级施工,龙岩站站改拨接顺利完成,漳龙铁路、赣龙铁路、赣瑞龙铁路、新建南龙铁路顺利接入龙岩站新站房。 龙岩站9小时完成大改造。 中铁四局供图龙岩站站改拨接是南龙铁路管线内最大的一次拨接,此次拨接为南龙铁路开通奠定了基础,南龙铁路建成通车后两地通行时间缩短至1.5小时。 9小时改造火车站的场面让世界再次为中国速度折服。美国企业家埃隆•马斯克也在社交媒体上为其点赞,并感慨:“中国在先进基础设施上的发展要比美国快100多倍!” 8小时拆完589米立交桥 “基建狂魔”的速度有多快?眼睛再一闭一睁,8个小时过去了,589米长的立交桥拆没了。 一夜之间被拆除的是江西南昌龙王庙立交桥。这座立交桥建于1992年,在2017年被拆除时已经“服役”了25年。 之所以要拆掉它,是因为这座立交桥属于“单纯式”立交,随着南昌交通的发展,龙王庙立交桥已经不能满足车辆通行的需要。所以,要拆除旧桥建新桥。 但是拆桥困难重重,该桥位于主城区,交通流量大,不能长时间封闭,总工期不到60小时,工期极其紧张,而且工程量大,全桥长589米,宽16米,最高处达7.6米,同时地下管线复杂,施工稍有不慎就会对沿线1000多户居民用水用气造成影响。 但这难不倒“基建狂魔”,中铁四局派出了200余台挖掘机同时作业。在桥两侧一字排开的挖掘机伸出长臂,就如一只只蚂蚁,努力啃食钢筋水泥,拆除现场蔚为壮观。最终,一夜之间这个庞然大物就消失了。 南昌龙王庙立交桥进行拆除作业现场。中铁四局 供图“中国效率”又一次惊艳世界。英媒不禁感叹:“这就是我们所说的效率!” “基建狂魔”创造的名场面还有很多: 在重庆,上演五桥同转的“空中芭蕾”,5座全长383.5米、总重达21500吨(相当于1.5万辆小汽车)的大跨度混凝土梁式桥梁,完成88度的转体,最终实现精准对接。 在厦门,3万吨客运站“走起来”平移了288米,还来了个90度转身,成功上演最牛“搬家”。 在武汉,10天建成火神山医院,12天建成雷神山医院,让世界再次见识到中国的基建速度。 在东南沿海,“基建狂魔”集结两万多名建设者,建成55千米长的港珠澳大桥,这是世界最长的跨海大桥。 在西北沙漠,仅用时三年多建成和若铁路,“圈住”了塔克拉玛干沙漠,将和田群众出疆路程缩短1000多公里。 逢山开路、遇水架桥,“基建狂魔”的成绩有目共睹,他们不断连通,将全国各地连为一体。 这十年来,高速铁路营业里程由不到1万公里增加到4万公里,高速公路里程由9.6万公里增加到16.9万公里,让中国拥有了全球最大的高速铁路网、高速公路网。 “基建狂魔”为什么这么快? 这些不可思议的名场面,“基建狂魔”是怎样创造的? 参与一夜拆除立交桥项目的中铁四局洪都大道总工程师李青杠认为,中国基建速度之所以这么快,一是中国基础设施审批工作效率高,从立项到审批、建设,各部门全力推进。二是中国有强大、全系统的制造业,基础设施建设所需的原材料资源丰富。三是科技引领力不断增强,工艺工装创新不断加快工程建设速度。 中国基建,标定中国速度。“基建狂魔”,擦亮强国底色。(完)
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