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.
【地评线】天府评论：新一轮千亿斤粮食产能提升行动让中国饭碗端得更牢****** 今年是贯彻党的二十大精神的开局之年，是加快建设农业强国的起步之年，保障粮食和重要农产品稳定安全供给具有特殊重要意义。我们将坚持把粮食生产作为“三农”工作的首要任务，以新一轮千亿斤粮食产能提升行动为抓手，全力保持粮食稳产增产好势头，依靠自己力量端牢中国饭碗。中央农办主任、农业农村部部长唐仁健接受人民日报采访时如是说。 粮食安全是“国之大者”。保障粮食和重要农产品稳定安全供给始终是建设农业强国的头等大事。我国之所以能够实现社会稳定、人心安定，一个很重要的原因就是我们手中有粮、心中不慌。2022年，我国全年粮食产量达到13730.6亿斤，连续8年超过1.3万亿斤，人均粮食占有量达到480公斤以上，小麦、稻谷两大口粮完全自给。但同时，我国粮食需求仍在不断增长。有预测显示，到2035年，我国年粮食需求或将达到8.5亿吨到9亿吨。这既凸显了实施新一轮千亿斤粮食产能提升行动的极端重要性和必要性，也凸显了依靠自己力量端牢中国饭碗的极端紧迫性和艰巨性。 重农抓粮，不断夯实粮食安全的根基，永远是端牢中国饭碗的最硬道理。农业强国是社会主义现代化强国的根基，满足人民美好生活需要、实现高质量发展、夯实国家安全基础，都离不开农业发展，离不开粮食安全。稳面积、稳产量、稳政策，是巩固我国粮食安全基础的三大法宝。中央农村工作会议提出了多个提升粮食产能的途径，如抓住耕地和种子两个要害，坚守18亿亩红线，建设高标准农田，健全种粮农民受益保障机制、增产和减损两端发力，构建多元化食物供给体系等，但万变不离其宗，必须用好稳面积、稳产量、稳政策三大法宝，在耕地、科技、农村经济等多方面发力，全面提升粮食产能，全力以赴端牢端稳中国饭碗。 坚持“藏粮于地，藏粮于技”不动摇，永远是端牢中国饭碗的最强保障。作为农业大国、人口大国，我国已经成功搭建了粮食生产政策体系和工作措施的“四梁八柱”，如：深入实施“藏粮于地、藏粮于技”战略，紧紧抓住种子和耕地两个要害，持续夯实粮食产能基础；推进服务社会化和生产机械化，促进节本增效、提质增效等等。这些行之有效的举措，是保障粮食产能稳步提升的“稳定器”和“压舱石”，是实施新一轮千亿斤粮食产能提升行动的有力“武器”。要一鼓作气、乘势而上，集中力量把“藏粮于地、藏粮于技”真正落实到位，持续增强粮食综合生产能力，最大限度挖掘粮食供给潜力，确保粮食和重要副食品安全。 全面落实党政同责，调动各方积极性，永远是端牢中国饭碗的最大动能。在不断发展农业科技之外，土地、农村建设等领域对粮食生产的助力同样重要。要从农村实际出发，以强化五级书记抓乡村振兴为抓手，聚焦农村基本具备现代生活条件、建设宜居宜业和美乡村，细化乡村建设行动、乡村治理和农村精神文明建设的具体安排，平稳有序推动农村疫情防控措施的调整落实，通过培育提升产业、着力稳定就业、推进创业创新，进一步增强脱贫地区和脱贫群众内生发展动力，调动一切资源，想尽一切办法，为新增千亿斤粮食产能聚心、聚力、聚责、聚智，因地制宜交出粮食产能提升新答卷，让中国饭碗端得更牢。（作者林伟系天府评论特约网评员） 玛雅彩票地图 |
