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.
剪纸馆盈满中国红 烟台非遗人巧手片纸展宏“兔”****** (新春走基层)剪纸馆盈满中国红 烟台非遗人巧手片纸展宏“兔” 中新网烟台2月3日电 题：剪纸馆盈满中国红 烟台非遗人巧手片纸展宏“兔” 记者 王娇妮 当非遗剪纸遇上癸卯年，国家级非物质文化遗产——烟台剪纸项目代表性传承人梁巧艳比往年更忙了。把小剪纸从装饰品变成大产业，用剪纸的语言讲述中国故事，是她的新年目标。 走进位于烟台所城历史文化街区的剪纸馆，“中国红”扑面而来。窗户上贴着红红的窗花，大人小孩围坐桌前剪图样。墙上、架子上展示着不同风格、不同题材的剪纸作品、文创产品，用“一抹红”向来到馆里的海内外游客传递中国年味儿。  图为梁巧艳在剪窗花。 王娇妮 摄据悉，烟台剪纸历史悠久，样式品类丰富。其中“单色、勾绘染色、衬色、拼色”等技法呈现出浓厚的生活情趣，2008年入选国家级非物质文化遗产名录。 “小时候，窗花里的故事令我着迷，每看到不同图案的剪纸就缠着奶奶给我讲故事，‘刘海戏金蟾’‘八仙过海’之类的传说都通过窗花纹样走进我的脑海。”梁巧艳告诉记者，她出生于剪纸世家，5岁开始画窗花、学剪纸，与剪纸有着解不开的缘分。  图为梁巧艳创作的剪纸作品《芝罘仙境》。 受访者供图长大后，梁巧艳不断钻研技艺，挖掘当地题材，拜访国内外名家，并在创新中积累经验。“一刀一纸”不足以概括剪纸，在她看来，最重要的还是“故事性”，要能够“纸中生意”“纸中传情”。 近年来，梁巧艳聚焦身边带有正能量的人和事，以纸为媒讲故事，在烟台城市发展、乡村振兴、国之重器等题材上，不断推出优秀作品。  图为剪纸衍生品。 王娇妮 摄“耗时最多，也最有意义的作品是胶东红色文化主题创作。当时我跟随专家一起重温胶东革命历程，创作出百余幅剪纸，以此传承红色基因，同时希望向人们传达要珍惜现在幸福生活的涵义。”梁巧艳称。 剪纸不仅能贴在窗上，还能“解锁”更多场景。当剪纸与生活用品、办公文具甚至是网络游戏相结合时，又开发出大量符合年轻人审美的新产品。如今，梁巧艳的剪纸工作室不断发展壮大，订单越来越多。  图为梁巧艳在介绍烟台剪纸。 王娇妮 摄“不少企业找到我，希望私人订制剪纸产品，作为礼物送给海外客户。”梁巧艳称，这些礼物将中国非遗与中国企业发展相结合，在“出海”的同时，也把中国故事越传越远。 随着网络直播的流行，梁巧艳把剪纸课堂从学校、社区搬进了直播间。在年前开设的一场双语角网络课堂上，许多泰国、俄罗斯学生通过直播学剪纸，在“现场教、现场剪”的云端，中外师生共同经历剪纸带来的美好时刻。 “作为非遗人，不应该排斥新事物，而应该不断拓展传播渠道。”梁巧艳告诉记者，只有不断壮大产业，才能促进更多的剪纸艺人创作出好作品，巧手片纸间，也能大展宏“兔”。(完)
|
