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.
《客家祖地与台湾》出版 阐述闽西客家人迁台历程****** 中新网龙岩1月5日电 (记者 张金川)“一位正在读大学的台湾青年萧维中同学,陪同他的父亲来参观客家族谱展,当他在展板上找到迁台祖的姓名后,很高兴地指着上面的名字对父亲说:‘阿爸,我们这支在这里……’” 两岸宗亲一谱牵。以上小故事发生在福建省龙岩市上杭客家族谱博物馆族谱之前赴台巡展过程中,入编闽西文史资料《客家祖地与台湾》专辑中。《客家祖地与台湾》由政协龙岩市委员会和闽西客家联谊会联合编著,于正在召开的龙岩市“两会”期间出版。 《客家祖地与台湾》专辑内页。 张金川 摄龙岩市政协主席李桂义在该专辑作序中指出,客家移民台湾是以闽粤人民为主体的中国人民开发台湾、建设台湾的有机部分,“客家祖地”闽西是台湾同胞的重要原乡地。 地处于福建西部的龙岩,通称闽西,是享誉海内外的“客家祖地”。长久以来,闽台两地客家的来往从未中断,祖地亲缘已经构成相互之间无法割舍的情感联结和牢固纽带。 李桂义称,两岸专家学者合作编撰《客家祖地与台湾》专辑,意在全方位综合阐述闽西客家人迁台的历史过程,在台湾的分布、宗族、社团、民俗、民间信仰、经济、文教、知名人士、与其他族群互动及与大陆祖地交流等方面情况,重在发挥“客家祖地”在促进两岸同胞心灵契合上的独特作用,是第一部综述闽西与台湾客家关系的专辑。 李桂义表示,全专辑融学术性与可读性于一体,既广泛利用海峡两岸历史文献、田野调查资料,充分吸收客家研究新成果,也记述了很多生动感人的事迹。 《客家祖地与台湾》专辑内页。 张金川 摄“一脉宗亲,血浓于水。”谈及《客家祖地与台湾》出版,龙岩市政协委员、闽西客家学者钟德彪5日接受中新网记者采访时称,“从客家族谱、风俗等方面看,台湾客家文化与闽西一模一样。” 钟德彪认为,该专辑对增强台湾同胞对客家祖地的认同,对促进祖国完全统一、增强海内外炎黄子孙的凝聚力,都有重要的历史意义和现实意义。 据悉,龙岩市政协高度重视闽西“客家祖地外迁”研究,近年持续开展实证考察与研究,组织编印“客家祖地”系列专辑。其中拟包括《客家祖地与浙西南》(2021年已编印)、《客家祖地与台湾》《客家祖地与湘赣边》《客家祖地与广西》《客家祖地与汕潮揭》《客家祖地与华人华侨》等分册,基本涵括了闽西客家人外迁所涉的主要地域和主要人群。 资料图为《客家祖地与台湾》封面。 中新社记者 张金川 摄《客家祖地与台湾》共有十章,具体是:《闽西客家人迁台动因与迁徙环境》《迁台闽西客家人的数量与分布》《在台闽西客家人的宗族组织方式》《在台闽西客家人的社团活动形式》《在台闽西客家人的民俗和民间信仰》《在台闽西客家人在台湾经济发展中的贡献》《在台闽西客家人在台湾文教事业上的建树》《在台闽西客家人与台湾其他族群的互动》《台湾闽西客家人与闽西祖地的交流》《闽西客家人在台历代主要知名人士》。(完)
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