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.
“阳了”之后要正确喝水 否则可能喝出低钠血症危及生命******
在这波疫情中,“多喝热水”似乎成为一种“共识”,很多感染新冠病毒的人往往会伴有发热、咳嗽、咽喉干痒肿痛等情况,于是床头常备一大壶水。不少人在“阳康”后更是止不住用喝水来缓解身体虚弱出汗而缺水的情况。殊不知,水也不能随便乱喝。在浙江大学医学院附属第一医院(以下简称“浙大一院”)急诊科,有些人就因为“喝错水”,喝出低钠血症。
65岁、22岁都中招 喝水喝不对也会惹“病”上身
65岁的李大伯没有基础疾病,上个月感染新冠病毒,“阳了”之后全身酸痛,发烧至39℃。李大伯治疗常见小病小痛的“法宝”就是多喝开水,在吃了退烧药后,他一边出汗一边大量喝水,每天要喝两大水瓶的水,循环往复。
成功退烧之后,老伴却发现李大伯不对劲——他头昏沉沉,伴有恶心、呕吐,于是紧急将他送往浙大一院急诊科。经过专家检查,李大伯血液中的钠离子含量为122毫摩尔/升(正常值在137—147毫摩尔/升),李大伯的种种症状正是由于患了严重的低钠血症造成的。经过对症治疗,近日他痊愈出院。
22岁的杭州小伙家明(化名)平时身体不错、很少生病,这次“阳了”之后,一直发烧至38.5℃退不下去。发烧后,由于没有食欲,家明基本上除了吃药就是喝白开水,捂出一身汗后再继续喝水。结果他强撑了三四天,就出现了全身乏力、嗜睡、手抖及精神恍惚等症状。“送医前,他腿部和上臂的肌肉也异常紧绷,真是吓死人了!”女朋友将家明送到浙大一院后,他同样被诊断为“低钠血症”。
高度重视低钠血症 少量多次科学饮水
“这几天,因低钠血症前来就医的急诊患者有不少!我们有必要和大家做个提醒。”浙大一院急诊科主任陆远强主任医师介绍,有些患者因无法饮食、连续呕吐导致钠离子大量丢失、无法正常摄入,血钠浓度在110毫摩尔/升以下,需紧急进行输液补钠;有些则是过量饮水造成的低钠血症。
正常情况下,人体细胞被钠和水平衡的溶液所包围,细胞内和细胞外保持着平衡。但当人喝太多白开水时,肾脏每天只能从血液中排出约800至1000毫升的水,多余的水就会滞留在血管里。细胞外的钠浓度被稀释了,细胞内外形成梯度差,细胞外的水分就会进入到细胞里,这会导致细胞水肿膨胀,就会引起血浆渗透压下降和循环血量增多,医学上称为稀释性低钠血症,俗称“水中毒”。另外,过量饮水还会对青光眼、慢性肾病、心脏病、胃溃疡等患者带来健康威胁。
专家建议,新冠病毒感染的普通型或康复期患者要保证充足饮水量,每天1500—2000毫升。喝水的最佳方式是少量多次,小口慢饮,每次200毫升左右,不建议一次喝500毫升以上,也可根据个人情况,调整为蜂蜜水、淡盐水、椰子水、柠檬水等。(记者 柯静 通讯员 王蕊 江晨)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)