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.
山东东营:党建聚人心 幸福来敲门****** “以前想看医生,得先到医院挂号排队。自从社区安装了远程诊疗系统,我就不用经常跑医院了,有问题,点点屏幕就能找到医生在线问诊拿药!”年近七旬的山东东营玉景社区居民王斌指着“一键呼叫”系统说。 玉景社区是胜利油田办社会职能剥离后成立的油地融合城市社区,投资380万元建成的智慧居家养老平台惠及1600余名老年人,新建的老年家餐厅、理疗室、图书室等设施已成为老年人的幸福家园……这是东营区强化党建引领社区治理,构建“油城e家·幸福家园”治理体系,推动城市基层治理“活起来”的缩影。 基层治理工作千头万绪,群众需求各不相同,有了矛盾怎么解决、在哪里解决?东营区组建专门委员会统揽城市基层治理所有事项,解决了“九龙治水”多头调度问题,优化了66项街道属地管理事项清单,下放综合执法等7支队伍由街道统管,为街道、社区减负扩权赋能,激活了城市基层治理的“神经末梢”。 “加装电梯‘六步法’现在还在社区白板上写着呢!”辛店街道胜凯社区居民张广平难掩兴奋。张广平是胜利采油厂退休职工、“暖心向阳”志愿服务队副队长,他主动申领了小区加装电梯“总管”一职,最终促成电梯成功安装,形成了张师傅加装电梯“六步法”,张广平还因此被社区纳入“新能人”人才库。 像张广平一样,在东营区一大批有能力、有威望、有公心、有热情的党员群众参与到社区治理和服务群众中来。干部职工下一线、服务资源到基层、幸福满意进万家,油地选派4000余名党员干部职工,吸收2449名党员和居民参与,常态化定格在小区、楼栋,平时志愿服务,急时社区统筹,“平时之功”转化为居民自治的“应急之力”。同时,推动以城带乡、城乡互助,65个城市社区党组织与195个行政村党组织结对共建,已开展农特产品进城、暖心服务下乡等共建联动活动80余次。 李金贵不仅是一名快递员,还担任文汇街道商隆社区新就业群体“流动网格员”。在东营区这样的“流动网格员”已超过6000名。东营区打造新就业群体党群服务中心,精准实施关爱、培训、服务等一系列项目,全面提升新就业群体的幸福感、归属感。同时,新就业群体主动参与社区“1+n结对联系”“8+5治理清单”等活动,成为基层社区治理的“信息收集员”“政策宣传员”“文明示范员”…… 用好社会联动同治力量,东营区着眼党组织号召、组团式服务,发动爱心企业、爱心商家、党外人士、新就业群体等力量参与城市治理,平时互联互通、急时“一键切换”。该区还成立区级社区治理发展基金,回馈参与基层治理的新力量,2022年以来,已有160名民营企业家、457名党外人士参与社区志愿服务。 拥有737户、2132名居民的东方银座花园是当地最早开发建设的商住一体型住宅小区之一。小区基础设施年久失修,群众意见很大。2022年,社区党支部牵头梳理出小区用房、电梯、道闸等公共收益金约23万元,同时撬动小区治理资金100万元,实施了主路改造、喷泉维修、大门维修、图书角建设等系列改造工程,赢得了群众的支持。 东营区各社区还积极与驻地单位签订共建协议,通过共同开展活动、定期召开联席会议、共同商议破解难题等方式,整合盘活阵地、文化、服务、信息等资源,协调各方为群众办实事、解难题,打通服务群众的“最后一米”。该区还建立了“群众幸福满意标准体系”,通过制定幸福社区、幸福小区、幸福楼道评选细则,动态评定、激发活力,让幸福感无处不在、满意度不断跃升。 光明日报记者 赵秋丽 光明日报通讯员 刘智峰 周 强 (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |