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.
【十年中国风】开门见山海,全球好物与中国智造双向奔赴******
中新网北京10月5日电 题:【十年中国风】开门见山海,全球好物与中国智造双向奔赴
记者 孟湘君
13亿多生产者和消费者迈入世界市场,中国,成为全球贸易一体化中,“推动增长和发展的教科书级案例”——2021年底,世界贸易组织总干事伊维拉如是评价。
回首这十年,作为全球唯一41个工业大类齐全的经济体、130多国主要贸易伙伴,中国对世界经济增长平均贡献率超30%,缔造了无数传奇。
十年来,中国是世界经济增长的“强引擎”。
新能源汽车驶向西欧和东南亚国家街头;滑雪用品、冲浪板让欧美民众欢享假日;智能手机的低音炮传遍非洲大地,全世界都离不开“Made in China”。
随着中国国际物流供应链的完善,225个国家和地区的消费者,和中国人一样爱上了“双11”购物节。以前发货到巴西要50天,如今最快10天,当地就能收到中国产家具、相机和针织衫。
新冠疫情暴发后,中国以世界瞩目的速度恢复元气。美国《华尔街日报》举例称,从口罩、试剂盒等医疗设备,到计算机液晶屏,再到欧美上班族长期居家所需的健身器材,出口热潮,巩固了中国制造大国的地位。
进博集市上的伊朗工艺品吸引顾客。 汤彦俊 摄十年来,中国是全球多边贸易的“推进器”。
从“大写意”到“工笔画”,“一带一路”倡议精细描绘与沿线国家的合作蓝图。2022年,中欧班列提前开行破万列,将天津的葵花籽运往乌兹别克斯坦,让厦门的呼吸机面罩远赴德国。
冰岛、瑞士、格鲁吉亚……十年来,中国签署自贸协定数量增加近1倍,更多国家收到了家具、玩具、机电产品等“中国礼物”;2021年,中国率先批准《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》(RCEP),运往日、韩的多类商品可享零关税,电子元器件、钢材等在新、马、泰等国,占据出口绝对优势。
意外成为“网红”的内陆农业县——山东菏泽曹县,凭“一己之力”默默耕耘出了千亿元级的电商产业规模。而爆火出圈的原因,是它每年出口日本、欧美100多万副棺木。
十年来,中国是释放商业潜力的“试验场”。
一边是中国企业“卖遍全球”,一边是消费者“买遍全球”。拥有全球最大中等收入群体、近14亿人口的中国,不仅是“世界工厂”,更是含金量十足的“世界市场”。
除了走出国门买买买,跨境电商蓬勃发展,给了中国人更多选择。政策利好海外购物,进境物品进口税下调,购物渠道多样化,俄罗斯伏特加、新西兰奶粉、智利樱桃、日本化妆品……全球好物越来越多地飞入寻常百姓家。
中国人的消费升级带给全球市场活力,也激发外企和全球品牌进入中国市场的动力。
随着外商投资准入负面清单、进口商品通关时长双“减负”,中国吸引外资连续四年世界第二;21个自贸试验区和海南自由贸易港相继设立,中国对外开放的高水平“试验田”迎来丰收。
航拍上海自贸试验区临港新片区。中新社记者 张亨伟 摄十年来,中国成为转型智造的“排头兵”。
十年磨一剑,从“中国制造”到“中国智造”,中国人攻坚克难、勇立潮头,不断自我超越。当前中国研发投入全球排名第二;连续7年在中等收入经济体中创新质量上居首;全球创新指数排名提升至14位,570多家工业企业入围全球研发投入2500强。
新能源汽车、无人机、水下机器人、超声影像,吸引国际大客户;5G、大数据、云计算、区块链、元宇宙,植入中国人大脑;移动支付、共享单车、直播带货、越洋连线,中国人的生活越来越好、见识越来越广。
彭博社注意到,中国正在出口更精密、更先进的产品,过去十年里,中美出口产品的技术水平差距缩小一半以上;《华尔街日报》指出,中国通过生产尖端产品,稳步向全球价值链上游移动;俄罗斯卫星通讯社介绍,中国制定自主创新发展战略,通过“互联网+”计划将数字技术引入传统工业、公共服务、医疗、金融等领域。
习近平总书记强调,“中国开放的大门不会关闭,只会越开越大”。撸起袖子加油干,勤劳智慧的中国人民,将持续为世界经济注入无限活力、澎湃动力。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |