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.
(新春走基层)“兔子王”兔年热销:泥韵传神出指端 中国神话IP遇见民间工艺******
中新网济南1月24日电 题:“兔子王”兔年热销:泥韵传神出指端中国神话IP遇见民间工艺
作者 吕妍
小小三瓣嘴,两只细长耳,金盔金甲大红袍,背插四面靠旗,手持玉杵,携金钵端坐于祥云之上,祥云下面以浅浮雕的形式塑造了趵突泉、黑虎泉、五龙潭等独具济南特色的泉水景观……24日,在山东济南“兔子王”非遗传承人杨峰的店铺内,五颜六色的“兔子王”排列整齐。因象征着平安、健康、吉祥,有祛病消灾的美好寓意,其在兔年迎来热销。
杨峰介绍说,“兔子王”的原型是中国神话故事中的“玉兔”。相传,古时有一种怪病蔓延济南,在月宫捣仙药的玉兔将药饼捣碎,投在济南“七十二名泉”中,喝了泉水的百姓很快痊愈,人们为感念玉兔,便在中秋时供奉一个泥塑的兔子神。“在北京称其为‘兔儿爷’,济南则叫‘兔子王’。”
图为“兔子王骑虎”。 祁见月 摄“兔子王”在中国传统民间手工艺中属于彩塑艺术,即以泥土为胎,饰以色彩。其制作工艺分为和泥、制胎、翻模、印模、开模、修胎、涂大白、开脸儿等10多道工序,30多个步骤。“我创作的‘泉城兔子王’系列作品,在继承传统的基础上,融入了更多地方特色和泉水元素。”杨峰说,包括在“兔王”脸上,以篆书变形的“泉”字绘制脸谱,以及融入泉水景观、咏泉诗文、泉名印章等,作品承载着济南的城市文化。
杨峰称,将“玉兔”雕造成金盔金甲的武士,有的骑着虎、狮、象等瑞兽,有的骑着孔雀,仙鹤等飞禽,这也是民间艺人的大胆创造。还有一种“兔子王”底座下伸出一根长线绳,每每拉动线绳时,它的手臂和药杵就一上一下地活动,并发出吧嗒吧嗒的响声,更是广受欢迎。
“我的第一件作品是被一位来自新西兰的游客买走的,他说在他们国家兔子也有美好的寓意。”杨峰说。2006年,他参加了新加坡的一个文化艺术旅游展,第一次将作品带出国门,“兔子王”也在那次展会上被来自五湖四海的游客带向了世界各地。“很多外国游客专门把‘兔子王’当成礼物带回到他们的国家,我也希望‘兔子王’作为一个文化载体和符号,能够在更广阔的空间展示中国传统文化。”
图为五颜六色的“兔子王”整齐的排列在展柜中。 祁见月 摄“‘兔子王’也体现了中华神话文化的五彩缤纷,从神话故事中,人们创造出许多生动有趣的形象,还将这些形象具象化,制成各种作品,点缀人们的生活,这些神话IP也深受孩子们的喜爱。”杨峰说。
“中国神话故事归属于非物质文化遗产的民间文学类别,因其丰富的内容以及超现实性,自古以来就有着广泛的民众基础,并且为传统非遗的各种艺术形式作品的创作提供了丰富的素材和造型参考。”山东艺术学院设计学院教授姜海涛表示,中国神话IP从形象到性格都有深入人心的鲜明特征,有着庞大的“粉丝”基础。以神话原型或元素作为特征,从中挖掘并提炼出让人产生共鸣的文化符号,融合现代审美理念解构进行再创作,做到体现背后的精神文化涵义,可以让非遗真正实现活态的传承与发展。
姜海涛建议,未来可以在现代文化和数字技术的语境下,在尊重和保护非遗技艺的基础上,通过理念创新、模式创新,实现非物质文化遗产由文化遗产向创意资源的转变,争取用潮流的方式焕新传统习俗,打造面向未来的生产和传播方式,兼具内容、视觉、品质和功能性,塑造具有全新的生活体验和艺术享受的非遗作品、文创产品等。(完)
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