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.
“湾区春晚”年初一播出 腾格尔潮汕话演绎摇滚英歌******
中新网广州1月21日电 (记者 程景伟)《遇兔呈祥大湾区——广东卫视春节晚会》(以下简称“湾区春晚”)将于1月22日(大年初一)在广东卫视播出。
来自中国香港的歌手们,为湾区春晚带来好歌新唱。周柏豪与炎明熹首度合唱,献上一曲《紫荆花盛开》。林峯则演唱了《晚风心里吹》和《大中国》。
腾格尔 广东卫视 供图湾区春晚将目光锁定在潮汕地区一种融合了“戏剧、舞蹈、武术”、拥有400多年历史的国家级非物质文化遗产——英歌舞,并邀请到有“草原歌王”之称的腾格尔,联手打造摇滚英歌《一身正气》。在提前放出的MV中,腾格尔首次用“腾”式唱腔向潮汕方言发起挑战,汕头市潮阳棉北后溪英歌队踏着铿锵鼓点,一展英姿。
在湾区春晚中,提前播出片段并引起关注的还有国风节目《锦鲤戏莲》。“莲叶何田田”“鱼戏莲叶间”……从课本诗词生发出的古典意象有多美?也许能在今年湾区春晚找到答案:水面上,中国杂技团的“玲珑五美”组合做出了首次水上蹬伞的大胆尝试;水面下,舞者何灏浩化作锦鲤,携莲伞于水底翩跹起舞。
周柏豪(左)与炎明熹(右)合唱《紫荆花盛开》 广东卫视 供图今年湾区春晚的戏曲节目《梦梨园》,不仅汇聚了中国戏剧表演艺术最高奖项“梅花奖”的获得者曾小敏、林燕云,还有黄丽华、蔡桂宁等名角,广东四大剧种“粤剧、潮剧、汉剧、雷剧”同台。剧目演绎的舞台从实景迁至虚拟空间,在XR虚拟技术全程助力打造下,梨园卷轴铺展开来,潮州广济桥立于碧波之上,林燕云化身潮剧唱段中的“李商隐”,歌于青绿山水间;蔡桂宁化身雷剧唱段中的“辛弃疾”,醉里挑灯看剑,豪气干云;黄丽华化身汉剧唱段中的“杨门女将”,虚拟的戏曲盔头舞台别具匠心;压轴登场的曾小敏则化身粤剧唱段中的“杨门女将”,刀马旦巾帼不让须眉。
此外,跨界音乐家吴彤领衔青春乐手和百人古筝团,鸣奏岭南名曲《彩云追月》;歌手阿云嘎演唱歌曲《如愿》时,舞台幻化作繁茂丛林。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |