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.
文化观察:浙皖闽赣掀省际文化交流热潮******
(新春走基层)文化观察:浙皖闽赣掀省际文化交流热潮
中新网衢州1月18日电 (记者 张斌)随着疫情防控政策优化,省际密切交流逐渐频繁。1月中旬,浙江省衢州市举办了一场跨越浙江、安徽、江西、福建四省的四省边际城市群文化交流活动,掀起了一场全方位的省际文化交流热潮。
“近年来,王希孟的青绿山水《千里江山图》成为文化热点,而两宋之交的衢州画家江参也创作了一幅水墨山水长卷《千里江山图》,同样是传世佳作,收藏在台北故宫博物院。”衢州市文联副主席戴郑娇表示,上承传统、下接时代,这让衢州有了创作《新千里江山图》的策划和构想,一方面可以用艺术的方式表现生态文明发展的科学思想,另一方面也可以推动衢州、黄山两地书画交流,共同将两地的壮丽山水、繁华富庶的社会民情创作成书画长卷,讴歌新时代。
日前,衢州黄山《新千里江山图》创作研讨会在安徽省黄山市召开。会上,衢州、黄山两地书画家共同探讨联合创作《新千里江山图》的可行性方案和具体思路。
“衢黄两地探讨联合创作《新千里江山图》是一件文化盛事,也是一种非常好的文化交流形式。”黄山市书画家胡慧表示,创作《新千里江山图》要在选材上注重突出衢州、黄山本地特色;在呈现方式上,可采用分主题拼接,也可以是长卷。“新安江是钱塘江北源,衢江是钱塘江南源;我们有黄山,衢州有三衢山、江郎山,两地山水相连,文脉相通,天然具有合作《新千里江山图》基础和优势。”
据悉,《新千里江山图》创作研讨会是四省边际城市群文化交流活动的第一站。在江西省景德镇市、上饶市,福建省南平市,相关活动接连举行。
“景德镇一直非常注重追求非遗与文旅的广泛融合,深度融合,‘活态’融合。”在江西省景德镇市举行的衢州——景德镇“儒学文化礼遇陶瓷艺术”沙龙交流、签约活动期间,景德镇市陶瓷文化遗产研究保护中心主任周荣林说。
浙江衢州。 许军 摄活动期间,两地代表围绕陶瓷产业发展和合作深入交流。两地还签署陶瓷产业发展合作协议,为衢州南孔文化与景德镇陶瓷艺术的合作奠定基石。
“中国古典哲学中蕴含着丰富的生态伦理思想、美学思想,对景德镇传统陶瓷艺术产生了巨大的影响力。”大国工匠、中国工艺美术大师曹爱勤表示,衢州是南孔圣地,有着丰富的儒家思想和历史人文资源,将这些与陶瓷设计结合起来,将有着非常广阔的艺术空间可以开拓。
此外,在江西上饶,由衢州市委宣传部、上饶市委宣传部主办的乡村振兴、衢饶共享“百名作家进百村”大型主题采风活动吸引来自浙江省衢州市、安徽省黄山市、江西省上饶市、福建省南平市四地作协的100位作家、诗人,走进上饶的100个村现场采风,希望共同展示乡村蝶变面貌,讴歌时代精神。
在福建南平,衢州南孔文化则与南平朱子文化深入“对话”。据悉,南平是朱子理学的发源地,被誉为“闽邦邹鲁,道南理窟”。衢州是南孔圣地。两地都在传承和弘扬儒学文化方面留下了浓墨重彩的一笔。1月14日,南孔爷爷、朱子爷爷文化IP联名表情包正式上线,南孔文化、朱子文化学术交流会等活动轮番登场,为两地市民献上了一场南孔文化对话朱子文化的人文盛宴。
“在这些可爱的表情包里,南孔爷爷、朱子爷爷不再是高高在上的圣人,而是幽默诙谐、勤劳阳光、开心生活的普通人,这无形中拉近了传统文化与市民的距离。”南孔爷爷IP创始人徐明说,希望能让更多的人了解中国的优秀传统文化。
“衢州、南平地缘相接,文脉相连,推动南孔文化、朱子文化创新性发展、创造性转化,还有着非常大的合作空间。”南平市朱子文化办公室常务副主任陈育进说。
衢州市委宣传部相关负责人表示,四省边际城市群文化交流活动一方面是为了加强四省边际各地市走访交流,积极探索衢黄南饶四地文化交流合作机制,另一方面是为了推动打造四省边际文化文明桥头堡,做强自身,服务周边。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |