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.
湖北来凤:祖孙三代接力守护金丝楠林******
(新春走基层)湖北来凤:祖孙三代接力守护金丝楠林
中新网湖北来凤2月3日电 题:湖北来凤:祖孙三代接力守护金丝楠林
记者 郭晓莹
在湖北来凤县百福司镇舍米湖村,这里的楠树错落叠翠,郁郁葱葱。3日上午10时,护林人陈代全拿起钩刀进山。虽已到了退休年纪,但他仍然每天坚持巡山。
“这棵树,我12岁时,它才拇指粗,看它现在长得多壮实。”陈代全抚摸着一棵挺拔的楠树说。
曾经拇指粗的楠树已成材。 郭晓莹 摄楠树浓荫如盖,经年堆积的树叶铺满了小路。一路上,陈代全唱起了自编的山歌:大王叫我来巡山呀,我到楠木(林)看一看;前头碰到个乌鸦飞呀,鸦雀到前面叫哈哈。
陈代全说,巡山要走过几道山梁,一趟下来要3个多小时,平时一天两趟,春节期间一天一趟。
百福司镇地处鄂、湘、渝交界地区,有“一脚踏三省”之称。当地野生楠树品种繁多,数量庞大。其中主要为桢楠,俗称“金丝楠木”,是最为顶级的木材之一,古人称之为“木中黄金”。
百福司镇舍米湖村楠树林(资料图) 张杏 摄相传明嘉靖年间,因大火烧毁了太祖昭穆群庙等多座宫殿,明廷派遣徐珊赴卯洞(百福司镇)一带督促采木。徐珊督促采木两年,留下《卯洞集》一书,这是全国唯一本记录楠木采伐史的史集,为了解明代百福司一带采木情况留下珍贵的史料。
为守护这片楠林,陈代全的爷爷陈志远早在20世纪二三十年代就义务护林,长期与盗伐者周旋。后来陈代全和父亲陈立富接力传承,父子俩在林中搭起木屋,在此“护楠”半个多世纪。
陈代全还记得,多年前,他曾想伐一棵楠树做家具,被父亲拒绝。陈立富说,这些树是留给子孙后代的财富,绝不能砍。陈代全明白父亲守护好这片楠林的决心,没再动过砍树的心思。
后有人找到陈立富,提出以28万元的高价购买一棵金丝楠,父子二人皆不为所动。
粗壮的楠树(资料图) 张杏 摄陈立富2016年去世后,陈代全成为陈家第三代护林员。他每天巡山,从未间断。
舍米湖村驻村第一书记谢永洲说,在陈家三代人和村民的保护下,该村楠林面积不断扩大,如今已达百亩,成材楠树6000余棵,楠木育苗1万余株。
据了解,百福司镇目前有大小楠树30余万株。在严格保护现有楠林的基础上,该镇将大力发展楠木观光、休闲、民宿、赏游系列生态产业,变资源优势为旅游产业优势,助力乡村振兴。
去年,陈代全的儿子陈群返乡创业,建起了民宿。“我想让更多的人来这里听父辈的故事,也会和父亲一起守护这片楠树林。”陈群说。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |