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.
“光盘行动”圆满落幕 团中央与微博合力号召600万网友做节约粮食践行者****** 从古诗中的“粒粒皆辛苦”到袁隆平院士的“禾下乘凉梦”,节约粮食不仅是中华民族的传统美德,也是保障粮食安全的重要举措。2022年10月,共青团中央社会联络部联合微博校园发起了为期两个月的“做节约粮食践行者”主题活动,在倡导绿色低碳生活方式的同时,号召网友一起践行节粮理念。至2022年12月31日,该活动圆满结束。 据了解,活动期间,微博全站参与人数超过600万,30岁以下网友占比85.5%。话题阅读增量91亿,讨论量达3982万。在共青团中央的号召下,全国1800余所高校学生积极响应参与,超过300万学生加入“光盘”一族。 围绕本次主题活动,微博校园发起的“光盘接力挑战”在线上、线下同步开展。线上通过话题讨论、小程序打卡等方式带动微博网友参与,吸引了200万网友、485位大V博主共同传播光盘公益理念。最终“光盘接力挑战”相关话题登上微博热搜榜。此外,微博校园在31个省市、百余所高校同步开展了校内特色活动,学生们发挥创造力,通过食堂街采、换物市集、海报展览、公益许愿板等丰富多彩的活动,倡导“光盘行动”,推广公益理念。 在活动期间,当河南菜农面临蔬菜滞销困局时,微博校园联合多家机构、媒体以及300余位明星和KOL,在微博共同发起助农倡议,搭建沟通纽带,号召网民关注河南菜农的困境,帮助原产地蔬菜寻找“销路”。同时,结合“光盘接力挑战”活动,采购大批蔬菜以活动奖品的形式送至河南地区高校。 此外, 为了更好地进行活动推广,微博校园不仅与《乐队的海边》《中餐厅》《熊出没》等综艺、IP联动,引发网友讨论及二次创作,还推出了极具社交媒体平台特色的“干饭人”表情包,在众多明星KOL的带动下,“干饭人”表情包被使用超过1200万次,进一步扩大了活动影响力。 在本次“光盘行动”中,微博校园积极发挥内容策划及话题运营能力,策划多个公益活动及热门话题。通过与政府机构、媒体、校园和学生群体的紧密连接,利用微博明星、KOL资源,为公益赋能,号召更多网友参与到公益行动中来,真正将公益理念转化为行动成果。 未来,微博各领域还将继续携手合作伙伴,发挥自身价值和优势,发起更多公益活动,并做好公益行动连接器。 (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |