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.
【新时代新征程新伟业】莫干山里的“民宿管家”****** 【新时代新征程新伟业】 光明日报记者 陆 健 光明日报通讯员 谢尚国 廖 莹 宽敞的联合办公区，52个工位，每个工位都有一个与民宿相关的创业就业故事。走进浙江省湖州市德清县莫干山镇五四村，离村委会不远的一幢白色简约建筑便是木芽乡村青年创客空间。 “这是全国首个乡村民宿众创空间，也是全国第一家有资质、有标准的乡村民宿管家培训中心。”近日，说起这些，创客空间创始人刘杰语气中带着自豪，谈到创办该空间的初衷是为民宿人提供一个人才培养和交流平台。如今，这里成为“民宿管家”培养提升的重要基地，也成了德清县莫干山民宿行业协会定点活动点之一。 德清莫干山是高端民宿业的发源地之一，也是国内首个县级民宿地方标准的诞生地。目前全县民宿总量近千家，年接待游客超700万人次，营收超30亿元。随着民宿在莫干山“遍地开花”，2016年8月，莫干山民宿经营业主自发成立了德清县莫干山民宿行业协会，经过5年多的发展，目前已拥有会员近200家。5年多来，莫干山民宿行业协会职责不断延伸。今年当选为协会执行会长兼秘书长的刘杰说，协会已成为当地民宿业主心中可靠的“大管家”。 “越是艰难处，越是修心时。”疫情防控期间，很多民宿“慢”下脚步，在协会的组织引导下，通过培训与实操比赛不断提升服务技能与水平。结合“微改造、精提升”行动，不少民宿还在协会的倡导与政府的支持下进行了改造升级，调整了经营战略，为将来发展积蓄能量。 “协会就是我们的‘娘家’，有问题、有需求，都可以去咨询求助。”易竹居民宿业主刘吉庆近日通过协会牵线搭桥，顺利收到了来自银行的49万元贷款，他打算用这笔钱让民宿以更好的面貌迎接八方来客。包括刘吉庆在内，一共有7家民宿享受到了协会的这波“福利”。 新年将至，作为莫干山民宿行业协会会长，钱继良一直关注着行业的整体运营情况。今年，由德清县政府申报的“民宿管家”被正式认定为新职业。协会不仅参与了“民宿管家”职业标准的编制，还参与起草了《乡村民宿服务质量规范》和《民宿管家职业技能等级评定规范》。他坦言，接下来将继续在规范化与绿色低碳发展上做文章，发挥协会引导作用，巩固莫干山民宿在全国民宿行业的标杆地位。 “目前形势怎么样？”“新年订房率高不高？”“有什么需要协会帮助的？”莫干山里，民宿行业协会每家会员都收到了来自“大管家”的线上问候。又是一年新春将至，莫干山民宿也正迎来自己的“春天”。 《光明日报》（ 2022年12月31日 03版） 彩虹多多地图 |
