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.
港澳台侨工作顾问唐清慧:加强中小学校园足球教育****** 中新网北京1月17日电 (记者 杜燕)北京市政协港澳台侨工作顾问、旅阿华侨唐清慧是北京市足球运动协会常务理事与副主席,多年来积极努力把阿根廷的足球技术、成功经验以及足球精神带回中国。正在召开的北京市政协十四届一次会议上,她谈到,足球水平的提高需要几代人持之以恒的努力,建议着力加强中小学校园足球教育,实现中国足球的振兴。 唐清慧多年来致力于推动中国和阿根廷两国在经贸、文化、体育等方面的交流与发展。她称,这些年在全国多个省份开展了校园足球工程,选拔足球教师,培训足球学子,并邀请阿根廷足球教练来中国,系统培训中国校园足球教练,对青少年进行足球知识普及,“要热爱足球,更要懂得足球。” 刚刚结束的2022年卡塔尔世界杯盛况空前,球星辈出,球迷既看到了欧洲强队娴熟的团队配合和高超的技战术打法,也欣赏到了南美球星的个人表演。唐清慧称,自己心系中国足球。在她看来,欧洲和南美足球的成功源自于完善的青训体系以及足球运动在当地的普及率。 调研中,她发现,目前一些学校学生体质健康问题比较突出,一些学校由于学业压力大没有开设足球教育类课后服务。在足球教育服务质量方面,缺乏规范的实施方案,一些学校聘请退役球员担任校园足球教练员,“但会踢不一定会教,会教不一定明白不同年龄段的孩子的需求”。 针对以上问题,她建议,创新“教会、勤练、常赛”足球教育健康促进模式,补充足球体育教师,如通过设置教练员岗位,吸纳优秀退役运动员、教练员、社会体育指导员加入足球教师队伍,或是通过政府购买服务的形式与相关专业机构等社会力量合作向中小学提供足球教育教学服务,缓解师资不足问题。 她还建议,学校应定制课后足球教育服务内容,搭建多样化的课后足球教育课程体系和赛事活动体系,强化“以赛促练,练赛贯通”的方式实现与课堂教学的互联。教育行政部门应该会同相关部门建立多元筹资机制,实行“财政补贴+有偿收费”的保障机制,激发足球教师和社会力量参与到课后足球教育服务工作的积极性。 唐清慧说,希望通过足球运动培养青少年团结进取的精神,“今后,仍将以足球为媒,推动中国和阿根廷的交流。”(完) (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |