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.
福建漳州争创两岸融合发展示范区****** 中新网漳州1月3日电 (记者 张金川)福建省漳州市市长王进足3日表示,坚持以“通、惠、情”促融,持续推进漳台融合发展,打造台胞台企登陆的第一家园。 当天上午,漳州市第十七届人民代表大会第二次会议开幕,王进足代表市政府向大会作政府工作报告。他指出,过去一年,漳州持续探索漳台融合发展新路,开展100场对台交流活动,全市新批办台资企业项目90个,海峡两岸最大的石化合作项目古雷炼化一体化项目投入商业运营。 在以“通、惠、情”促融方面,王进足表示,坚持以通促融,实施新一轮漳台产业合作计划,推进石油化工、机械装备、精致农业等重点产业深度融合,争创两岸产业融合发展示范区。 坚持以惠促融,积极推进“台湾小镇”和台湾青年就业创业基地建设,持续优化涉台营商环境,吸引更多台湾青年来漳实习、就业、创业,不断增强台胞台商获得感,打造两岸“家乡化”服务引领区。 坚持以情促融,加大对台交流基地建设力度,加强宗亲、乡亲、姻亲、民间信仰等交流互动,持续办好海峡论坛漳州活动、农博会·花博会、茶博会、海峡两岸(漳州)青年交流周等品牌活动,构建两岸基层融合发展先行区。 漳州市第十七届人民代表大会第二次会议现场。 张金川 摄漳州是台湾同胞主要祖籍地和台商投资密集区。漳州市政协主席吴文团在该市政协十四届二次会议上也表示,做好“通、惠、情”三篇文章,创新和拓展政协服务漳台融合发展的渠道载体,增进两岸同胞心灵契合。 漳州先行先试,率先设立海峡两岸农业合作实验区、台湾农民创业园,实施漳台农业融合发展工程,建设闽台农业融合发展的先行区。 漳浦国家级台湾农民创业园是福建6个国家级台农创业园之一。截至目前,该创业园已累计引进台资农业企业289家,创业就业台胞840人,实际利用台资4亿多美元。 “推进漳浦台湾农民创业园品质,提升深化漳台融合发展。”漳州市政协副秘书长、民进漳州市委会副主委林必强建言,在“闽台蝴蝶兰产业融合和创新发展”基地授牌的基础上,做好闽台兰花产业园二期规划建设的前期工作,着力打造省级兰花培育创新基地;引进台湾先进农机制造技术和设备,建立农机推广示范中心,推动闽台产业融合。 林必强还建议,在台湾农民创业园设立创业型孵化基金,为台青创业项目提供资金支持;以台创园为载体建设台青文创园,出台优惠政策引导台创园内企业利用自有房地产、企业库房、闲置厂房等为台青创业者提供低成本办公场所,发挥台青的文创和社区营造特长及理念,从文化内容和产业支撑上打造特色台湾村。(完)
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