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.
“浙江考古与中华文明”第一辑首发 讲述考古80余年硕果******
中新网杭州1月12日电 (谢盼盼 张紫懿)时至今日,中国现代考古学已走过百年历程,浙江考古在中华文明探源和脉络展示上的贡献如何?“浙江考古与中华文明”(第一辑)给出了精彩的回答。
1月11日,首部全面阐释中华文明发展与浙江文化历史贡献的考古研究成果——“浙江考古与中华文明”第一辑新书首发式暨第二辑规划研讨会在杭州举行。
新书首发式现场 陈芊如 摄“浙江考古与中华文明”丛书为浙江文化研究工程重大项目,由浙江省文物局、浙江省文物考古研究所、浙江大学的20位专家倾力打造,系统梳理80多年来浙江考古成果,深入发掘浙江文化根脉和传承体系,力图为中华文明探源贡献浙江材料支撑,进而长时段、多角度呈现浙江文化在中华文明发展中的卓越贡献。
丛书包含《浙江新石器时代考古》《越国考古》《浙江汉六朝考古》《吴越国考古》《南宋墓葬研究》《良渚古城与中华文明》《良渚玉器与中华文明》《稻作文明探源》《浙江史前陶器》《浙江史前美术》《浙江古代青瓷》11本,分为互补的两个系列:一是通史系列,从新石器时代贯通至南宋,具有较强的体系性。二是专史系列,涉及城邑、玉器、农业、陶器、美术和瓷器。
浙江省文化和旅游厅党组书记陈广胜认为,“浙江考古与中华文明”丛书正是考古视域下对中华优秀传统文化的一次深入探索,为浙江大历史构建奠定了学术基石,为中华文明探源提供了“浙江支撑”,为更好构筑中国精神、中国价值、中国力量展现了“浙江贡献”。
相关书籍图片 浙江人民出版社供图浙江出版联合集团总经理、总编辑、党委副书记程为民指出,“浙江考古与中华文明”丛书全面系统地反映了浙江考古80余年的最新考古成果。它的出版,将为我们深入发掘浙江文化根脉、传承浙江创新精神、打造浙江历史文化金名片提供有力支撑。
浙江省社会科学界联合会党组成员、副主席谢利根表示,“浙江考古与中华文明”丛书系统总结了浙江考古近百年来的优秀成果,是浙江考古学界、历史学界对浙江历史文化的重要总结,也是对浙江文化、文明发展进步的系统梳理,丛书还充分展示了浙江考古成果对于探索多元一体的中华文明的起源与形成的贡献和作用。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |