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。
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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。
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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.
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中国旱作农业源自何处?专家称至少包括黄河西辽河两个起源中心****** 资料图:刘国祥研究员在第六届世界小米起源与发展会议上做报告。 中新社记者 孙自法 摄 中新网北京12月27日电 (记者孙自法)农业起源和人类起源、文明起源一道并称为考古学研究的三大课题,其中,农业包括旱作农业和稻作农业,中国旱作农业如何起源、从哪里起源等问题,长期以来在学界有一定争议,也备受关注。 在中国社会科学院考古研究所刘国祥研究员看来,中国旱作农业可能不只有一个起源地,至少应包括黄河流域和西辽河流域两个起源中心。 资料图:内蒙古敖汉旗一处小米种植基地。 中新社记者 孙自法 摄 由中国社会科学院考古研究所、中国科学院地理科学与资源研究所、赤峰市及敖汉旗政府等共同主办的第九届世界小米起源与发展会议,12月27日以线上线下相结合方式举行。刘国祥以《敖汉旱作农业与西辽河流域史前文明》为题作学术报告指出,传统观点认为,地处黄河流域的中原地区是旱作农业的发源地,但西辽河流域内蒙古敖汉旗兴隆沟遗址炭化粟、黍遗存等发现,引发出关于中国旱作农业起源问题的新思考。 刘国祥说,目前许多学者认为,西辽河流域的自然环境具有脆弱性、多变性和不稳定性,会使人类具有食物短缺的压力,当地的草原生态系统虽较为干旱,但河流仍能提供充足的水源,加之粟、黍的生命力顽强,完全具备农业发展的条件,非常有可能催生原始农业的产生。因此,中国旱作农业可能不只有一个起源地,至少应包括黄河流域和西辽河流域两个起源中心。 从考古学文化视角,中国北方旱作农业发展历经小河西文化时期(距今约9000-8500年)的萌芽阶段、兴隆洼文化时期(距今约8200-7200年)的形成阶段、赵宝沟文化时期(距今约6700-6400年)的发展阶段、红山文化时期(距今约6500-5000年)的成熟阶段、小河沿文化时期(距今约5000-4000年)的过渡阶段、夏家店下层文化时期(距今约4000-3400年)为鼎盛阶段。 资料图:内蒙古敖汉旗展示当地小米磨制过程。 中新社记者 孙自法 摄 他建议,今后应继续加强田野考古工作,围绕敖汉旱作农业系统,以河流为中心,系统获取土样,通过炭化籽粒建立当地旱作农业系统谱系,加强旱作农业系统的保护与延续。 刘国祥表示,兴隆洼文化兴隆沟遗址浮选出土的炭化粟和黍,经中外三家不同的碳十四实验室年代测定,证实兴隆沟出土粟的年代距今约7650年,这是目前世界上发现最早的小米实物遗存之一,也是唯一经过精确年代测定的最早的小米遗存,表明当地是以粟、黍为主的旱作农业起源地。英国剑桥大学马丁·琼斯教授到敖汉旗兴隆沟遗址进行考察,也得出欧洲小米是由中国西辽河流域最早栽培并由东向西传入的研究结论。“考虑到兴隆沟遗址所处位置,其很有可能是小米向欧洲传播的起始点”。 即将到来的2023年已被联合国确定为“国际小米年”。刘国祥认为,“国际小米年”将提供机会引导政策关注,从而为敖汉小米等产业发展带来新机遇、新起点。同时,“国际小米年”也将推动对旱作农业考古文化更深入的研究、更好的保护和传承。(完) 快三大发地图 |