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.
春节将至年味渐浓 各地洋溢节前的喜悦******
还有不到两周的时间就到农历春节了,全国各地年味渐浓。今天我们带您一起去各地感受一下,眼下人们准备过年的那份忙碌和喜悦。
01 年货节购销两旺 特色年货惠民促销
首先来看年货市场。这两天,各地年货市场物丰价稳,特色年货更是销售火热。
重庆梁平区的年货节正式启动,卤鸭、豆干、小面等重庆各区县的特色年货琳琅满目。当地还邀请了重庆各区县特色年货生产企业或经销商前来参展,推出年货节满减消费券、畅游景区活动等惠民促销活动。
重庆市巫山县展销商万谨瑜:今天上午已经卖了不少东西,我觉得今天应该能取得一个不错的销售成绩。
在山西太原一大型综合市场,各种肉类、海鲜产品、蔬菜水果应有尽有,为了满足消费者需求,市场积极协调组织货源,确保货品充足。同时设置专业食品安全快速检测室,对各类生鲜食品进行抽查检验。
市场负责人 周锋:保障货品的充足和价格的稳定,确保消费者在这里买到安全放心的食品。
春节将至,黑龙江黑河市的最低气温已降至零下20℃,但置办年货的市民依然络绎不绝,“冻货”是东北早市上的“主角”,而且市场上的冻货种类也越来越多,从冻梨、冻柿子、冻菜等冷冻果蔬到冻鱼、冻肉、冻豆腐等,应有尽有,备受市民青睐。
黑河市民 吴女士:来买点儿冻梨冻柿子,东北特色。家里人都喜欢,年年冬天都来买。
02 备年夜饭家乡菜 家家户户年味浓
年货采办齐了,家家户户接下来的一件大事,就是要忙着制作过年吃的各种特色美食了。这两天,在浙江、重庆、江西、海南等地,人们已经开始制作各种地方美食准备过年了。
在浙江湖州长兴县周吴岕村,制作团子是当地家家户户的传统习俗,寓意新的一年合家团圆、幸福美满。团子蒸熟后,满满的糯米香扑鼻而来。冬日暖阳下,白团子晶莹剔透,绿团子绿意盈盈。
做糖画、吃汤圆,重庆万盛的迎新春游园活动,吸引了不少市民前来。
市民 牛馨熠:这是我第一次体验做糖画,很好看也很好吃,觉得特别有意思。
在活动现场,社区还为大家提供了热乎乎的汤圆,吃汤圆、猜灯谜,整个游园会处处洋溢着喜庆。
在江西鄱阳湖区,周边家家户户开始忙着晒腊肉、腌咸鱼,浓浓的年味弥漫开来。不论是蒸、炒、煮,腊肉都是当地人下饭的必吃菜品。此外,晒咸鱼也是当地的传统习俗。人们将内湖捕捞上来的鱼,清理腌制后进行晾晒,到了过年的时候,制作成一道道咸鱼烧制的家乡菜。
江西上饶鄱阳县白沙洲乡车门村村民范华有:我们湖区每家每户到了过年都要腌制一点鱼,这个鱼无论是烹、煮,怎么都好吃。
在海南文昌凤会村有一句俗语:无糖贡不像过年。糖贡,俗称米花糖,每逢新春佳节,当地家家户户都会制作糖贡,炒米、炒芝麻、熬糖的香味,弥漫整个村庄。
据介绍,凤会村独有的薏糯米,是当地制作糖贡的上等食材。村民们在每年下半年都会种上几亩,专门用来在过年期间制作糖贡。因为特殊的制作工艺和香脆绵柔的口感,近年来,凤会村的糖贡还出口到了海外。如今,糖贡不仅仅是村民们过年的特色美食,还成了增收致富的产业。
03 春节临近 年宵花装扮新气象
买年货吃美食,全国各地的年味儿是越来越浓,除了满足肠胃还要赏心悦目。随着春节的临近,多地的花市大棚也逐渐热闹起来。不少商户正加紧进货,以保证节日期间市民的购买需求。
这两天,记者在广西花鸟市场看到,市场内年桔很是惹人关注,一盆盆金灿灿的年桔把花卉市场装扮得格外喜庆。师傅们麻利地绑扎枝条,扮靓造型,为即将到来的采购旺季做准备。据了解,今年1米多高的小年桔深受市民青睐。除了年桔,盆栽鲜花、鲜切花、多肉植物还有应季而生的年花年果将市场装扮得年味十足。
走进广东汕头花城,各色年宵花卉应有尽有、美不胜收,为这里增添了浓浓的年味。今年,花市行情看好,经营户都积极备货,引进了不少新品种。像北美冬青、垂丝茉莉等,因色彩鲜艳、造型独特受到不少市民的青睐。此外,组合式盆栽产品,也成为春节花卉市场的新亮点,不同的花卉,在花农的精心搭配下,做到一盆一景,层次丰富。
走进甘肃兰州新区花卉产业基地智能温室,各种盆花开得正旺。这几天,这里种植的娜欧米、雪山系列等诸多品种的鲜切玫瑰在市场上供不应求,每天都有将近三十万株鲜切花运往全国市场。同时,为了保证节日期间市民对花卉的需求,兰州新区花卉交易中心提前备货,增加了花卉的进货量,还引进了许多新品种,以满足市民不同的需求。
04 兴凯湖冬捕节 体验渔猎乐趣
在冬季的东北,冰上祭祀纳福、踏雪寻鱼、破冰、下网、拉网、头鱼拍卖等,每一个环节、每一个场面都是一道迷人的风景。兴凯湖冬捕节近日在黑龙江鸡西市启幕,数千名市民和游客齐聚兴凯湖,感受独特的渔猎文化和兴凯湖冰雪的魅力。
冬捕渔猎中最壮观、最激动人心的要数起网时刻。伴随着渔把头的一声“起网喽”,十几名渔民排着队吆喝着将大网慢慢拉出冰面,鲤鱼、鲫鱼、鲢鱼、麻连等各类鱼种缠绕于网间,还有我国闻名的四大淡水鱼之一,大白鱼在水雾间跳跃而出,当25公斤头鱼破水而出时,现场响起了热烈的掌声和呐喊声,冰天雪地间,处处都是喜庆丰收的画面,象征着“连年有鱼”。
兴凯湖冬捕节鱼把头徐兆强:往年都是十二月二十多号就开湖了,今年因为气温高,后期又刮大雪就晚了,变成了一月七八号,或十号左右才开湖。
本次冬捕节,作为鸡西市旅游品牌的标志性活动之一,依托兴凯湖的独特自然优势,让游客聚集在此尽情嬉戏,在享受冬捕快乐的同时,感受着大规模冬捕的壮观盛宴,亲身体验渔猎的乐趣,重温传统冬捕渔猎文化的独特魅力。
今年的冬捕节除了冬捕非遗展示、头鱼拍卖、特色美食品尝等传统项目外,还增加了大型实景音乐剧“远古的呼唤——肃慎之冬”表演、徒步穿越兴凯湖、兴凯湖自驾穿越、冰雪马拉松、冰上娱乐、特色商品展示、冬泳表演等10余项特色活动。据了解,近年来,鸡西市积极开创文旅创意产业新模式,以兴凯湖冬捕节为契机,进一步拓展冰雪文化,浓郁冰雪氛围,叫响美丽鸡西的冬季冰雪旅游品牌,升温鸡西冬季旅游市场,真正实现龙江冰雪由“冷资源”变成“热经济”。(央视新闻客户端)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)