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.
【寻味中华】广式打边炉：一炉靓汤，浓淡皆可入味******
中新社广州1月31日电 题：广式打边炉：一炉靓汤，浓淡皆可入味
中新社记者 王坚
时值冬日，在一年难有几日严寒的广东，“打边炉”成为人们聚餐的常选菜式。
“这几天广州降温了，挺冷，一家人特意来打边炉，驱寒暖身，滋补一下。”食客王耀排了半小时队，终于和家人在广州一家知名的打边炉餐厅，吃上了炭火花胶鸡汤打边炉。新鲜弹牙的鲍鱼、海螺等海鲜，在沸腾的浓汤中翻滚，诱人的鲜味扑鼻，让一家人尽享美味时光。
打边炉(也称“打甂炉”)是广东人对涮火锅的说法。根据《广州语本字》解释，因置炉于人的左右，人守在炉边，将食物边涮边吃，便有了“打边炉”一说。
与其他地区的火锅不同，最初的打边炉是站着吃的。因此，用来打边炉的筷子，是比普通筷子长一倍的竹筷。区别于北方地区火锅常用金属器具，广式打边炉多用瓦罉(砂锅)。当然，随着人们饮食习惯的变迁，如今打边炉有时也会用铜锅。
对广式打边炉而言，“真功夫”在锅里。广东人重汤头，打边炉自然也以上好高汤为底，加入各式食材入味。根据时令变化，广东人还喜好搭配各类药膳入锅：冬瓜和薏米清热解毒，萝卜和羊肉补气养血，山药茯苓益气祛湿……大快朵颐的同时，还起到了养生的效果。而蘸料则以沙茶酱为主，使其滋味更加独特。
广东还有“清水打边炉才是最高境界”一说。于边炉内煮一锅清水，不需另加调味料，烹煮时由食材自动释出咸甜味。清水中也可加上几片萝卜用以浓郁口感，同时除去蔬菜的涩味。还有人喜欢在汤里加上一小块生石膏或豆腐，据说可减轻打边炉后口干舌燥之弊。
清水边炉，最重要的便是食材的“鲜”。一锅清水，就像是食材的试金石。清水边炉能放大新鲜食材的优点，不用太多雕刻和烘托，就能达到惊艳的效果。
广东人对打边炉的味觉要求并不单一。该鲜的时候不加修饰，享其真味，该“入味”时也不含糊。例如用羊肉煲打边炉时，可先将调料爆香，加入柱侯酱、海鲜酱、腐乳等酱料，然后放入带皮的羊肉在锅中焖煮，待羊肉充分吸味、软嫩弹滑之时再食。
无论淡或浓，自然本味还是精雕细琢，广东人都能在打边炉里吃出好滋味。
“优质又鲜美的食材经靓汤蒸煮，就着一点盐油，爽滑清鲜，为舌尖带来原汁原味的甜美。”广州一打边炉餐厅店长介绍，滑手的水鱼、鲜嫩的黄鳝、肥美的走地鸡、新鲜的黑山羊、爽脆嫩弹的猪肚和林林总总的海鲜……在广东各地，几乎都有可以称之为主打的边炉，就算吃上一个月也不重样。
打边炉里，吃的不仅是美味，更是广东人潇洒不拘的生活态度。在路边、天台、大排档或者家中，随时都可以呼朋唤友，来一锅打边炉，滚烫的美味中，身心都被温暖。(完)
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