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.
“传奇警犬”暮年犹勇:退休前站好最后一班岗******
中新网吉林10月13日电 (记者 石洪宇)几乎到了“职业生涯”的末期,但排爆犬Lucky(幸运)仍保持着良好的工作状态。奔跑、耐力、执行等方面远超其他同类,排查爆炸物仅耗时10多秒。服役以来,这只7岁的黑色拉布拉多犬陪伴杨云泽出警近700次,这对搭档一起面对过许多大场面。
在最近一次吉林省首届警犬技术比武竞赛中,“90后”带犬民警杨云泽引导Lucky在几十只警犬中脱颖而出,拿到冠军头衔。每每谈及那场比赛,杨云泽都用手抚摸Lucky的头,对方则用撒娇的声音回应。
![Lucky在训练 石洪宇 摄 Lucky在训练 石洪宇 摄](http://i2.chinanews.com.cn/simg/ypt/2022/221013/fa283a22-2d2a-4398-981d-d3dcc9ed2f20_zsite.jpeg)
这对搭档在吉林市公安局刑事技术支队四大队工作,两人亲密无间的配合也让Lucky成为“传奇警犬”。吉林省很多警犬训导员将其视为训练样板。
“很多时候它让我很感动,一次侦破案件,它连续工作6个多小时,累得趴在我怀里睡着。”杨云泽说,双方相处多年,他早就视其为家人。
杨云泽是吉林市警队唯一的动物医学专业毕业生,8年前他来到警犬基地工作。工作的第二年,Lucky也来入职。双方第一次见面,Lucky便表现不凡——体力出众、聪明,且极为活泼。
第一步是培养亲密感情,双方在玩耍、朝夕相处中了解对方。当时的Lucky十分迷恋球类,甚至尝试咬着网球睡觉。但漫长、严苛的训练才是工作中的主题,先是听从命令,而后是行为规范……直至Lucky可以迅速找到床头、车辆、行李中隐藏的爆炸物。
“训练警犬也要遵循规律,不能急功近利。”杨云泽说,Lucky比较敏感,能迅速捕捉到他的情绪,如果过于急躁,会打消其积极性。
杨云泽起初认为对方更喜欢零食,训练成功后会给一些奖励。后来才发现,它更喜欢一起玩耍,每一次训练和出警后,双方都会用球玩上一阵。
寒来暑往,一人一犬在训练场留下汗水,在实战中检验效果。
一次紧急任务,这对搭档连续工作两天三夜,最终Lucky累倒,但配合民警找出了重要线索。收队后,杨云泽抱着它打了吊针。“当时别提多心疼它了,它用表情告诉我有多委屈。”
这对搭档的杰出工作成绩赢得了警队的信赖,2018年前后他们经常前往外地执行任务,在多个城市的大型会议现场、机场,经常可以看到这对搭档的身影。
熟稔动物习性的杨云泽明白,近7个年头的陪伴便是Lucky的大半生。虽然到了老年,但这只“传奇警犬”仍表现出卓越状态,每逢任务和训练,杨云泽来到它的房间,Lucky总会兴奋不已。(完)
y39彩票地图 |