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.
“典”亮新时代|民富国强,众安道泰****** 编者按:过去一百年,中国共产党向人民、向历史交出了一份优异的答卷。现在,党团结带领全国各族人民踏上了实现第二个百年奋斗目标新的赶考之路。“两个一百年”奋斗目标历史交汇,我们开启了全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程,正昂首阔步行进在实现中华民族伟大复兴的道路上。 党的十八大以来,习近平总书记多次引经据典、援古证今,赋予典故鲜活的时代内涵,深刻阐释中国共产党初心如磐、历久弥坚的精神密码。央视网《天天学习》特别策划“典”亮新时代系列,与您一起学习领会。 【释义】 《吴越春秋》是东汉史学家赵晔所著的一部有关春秋时期吴越两国历史的著作,今存十卷。前五卷为吴事,起于吴太伯,迄于夫差;后五卷为越事,自无余以至勾践,注重叙述吴越争霸的史实。 “民富国强,众安道泰”出自第八卷《勾践归国外传》,意思是人民富裕、国家强盛,社会安定和平。《勾践归国外传》记述了越王勾践被吴王夫差放回越国后,卧薪尝胆,励精图治,重用范蠡、文种等人,通过一系列发展生产和提升军队战斗力的措施使越国民富国强,具备了伐吴复仇的能力。 中国古代就有“藏富于民”之说,认为只有百姓生活富足,国家才能繁荣稳定、长治久安。故《吴越春秋》把“民富”放在“国强”之前。 【解读】 2021年1月28日,中央政治局就做好“十四五”时期我国发展开好局、起好步的重点工作进行第二十七次集体学习。习近平总书记在主持学习时引用古语“民富国强,众安道泰”,指出进入新发展阶段,完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念,必须更加注重共同富裕问题。 让人民群众过上更加幸福的好日子是我们党始终不渝的奋斗目标,实现共同富裕是中国共产党领导和我国社会主义制度的本质要求。改革开放以来,我国7.7亿农村贫困人口摆脱贫困,14亿多人民的生活质量和水平大幅度提升,用几十年时间完成了其他国家几百年走过的发展历程。 党的十八大以来,我们党对共同富裕道路作了新的探索,对共同富裕理论作了新的阐释,对共同富裕目标作了新的部署。党的十九大报告提出到本世纪中叶“全体人民共同富裕基本实现”的目标;党的十九届五中全会进一步提出,到2035年“全体人民共同富裕取得更为明显的实质性进展”。 促进全体人民共同富裕是一项长期任务,也是一项现实任务。我们要始终把满足人民对美好生活的新期待作为发展的出发点和落脚点,在实现现代化过程中不断地、逐步地解决好这个问题。习近平总书记指出:“要自觉主动解决地区差距、城乡差距、收入差距等问题,坚持在发展中保障和改善民生,统筹做好就业、收入分配、教育、社保、医疗、住房、养老、扶幼等各方面工作,更加注重向农村、基层、欠发达地区倾斜,向困难群众倾斜,促进社会公平正义,让发展成果更多更公平惠及全体人民。” 在全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程中,我们必须把促进全体人民共同富裕摆在更加重要的位置,脚踏实地、久久为功,向着这个目标积极有为地进行努力。要抓住人民最关心最直接最现实的利益问题,不断保障和改善民生,促进社会公平正义,在更高水平上实现幼有所育、学有所教、劳有所得、病有所医、老有所养、住有所居、弱有所扶,推动社会全面进步和人的全面发展,朝着实现全体人民共同富裕的目标稳步迈进。 (作者 杨立新) (中央广播电视总台央视网) (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |