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.
北京疫情已经过了感染高峰期******
从今年1月8日起,新型冠状病毒感染调整为“乙类乙管”,作为首都,北京接下来将怎么应对?如何更有针对性地统筹疫情防控和生产生活?央视记者独家专访了北京市代市长殷勇。殷勇表示,北京的疫情已经过了感染的高峰期,下一阶段要科学地构建疫情的监测预警体系,对于新的变异病毒加强监测。
科学监测预警防好病毒变异
殷勇表示,“乙类乙管”不是不管,政府仍然要担当起疫情防控的相关责任。北京的疫情已经过了感染的高峰期,整个人群应该说在免疫能力方面已经构筑起了新的能力。下一阶段我们就是要科学地构建疫情的监测预警体系,包括一些哨点、医院发热门诊等,对于新的变异病毒我们加强监测,防止有变异以后可能会冲击我们目前已经恢复正常的社会生产和生活。
老年人血氧浓度降低可到社区医疗机构吸氧
殷勇说,要观察疫情在社区的传播方式和渠道,包括监测排污等,尤其是新的变种病毒可能带来的影响。这里主要就是老年人,还有有基础疾病的一些人,也包括儿童、孕妇,还有残障人士这样的群体,让他们尽可能地降低感染的风险,有一些老年人血氧浓度降低,可以到社区的医疗机构去吸氧。要继续推动疫苗接续接种,对于一些有重症风险的人群,可以及时提前进行一些医疗的干预措施。
要建强基层医疗让老百姓更方便
殷勇说,北京市将进一步完善医疗服务体系,包括120的转运、门急诊接待,以及重症救治等方面的能力建设,其中很重要的一个就是要建立分级分层的医疗体系。
这次疫情中,基层医疗发挥了关键作用,因为贴近百姓,非常方便。所以要加大向基层配置医疗资源的力度,增强服务保障能力。
要给企业一个休养生息的空间
殷勇说,要构建整个社会正常生产生活的服务保障能力,包括快递、外卖在内的重点行业,要帮助这些企业做好防护,以及人力上的准备。还要加大对企业的扶持力度,过去三年企业很不容易,承担了整个防疫的大量社会成本,要给企业一个休养生息的空间,让企业能够有进一步发展的空间,在确定今年的经济增长、税收指标与企业相关的时候,会考虑让企业能够有进一步的资源、财力等,去恢复和发展。(据央视新闻)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)