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.
四川:拉齐读书“起跑线” 民族地区教育“结硕果”****** 中新网成都1月5日电 (贺劭清 何芦恒 唐启浩)“拉大锯、拉大锯,外婆家里唱大戏。”寒冬时节,刚走进四川省凉山州昭觉县三岔河镇幼儿园,便听闻阵阵儿歌。三岔河镇幼儿园教师陈婷婷介绍,幼儿园正通过双语教学让孩子们更好了解、掌握普通话,而对于低龄小朋友而言,儿歌是他们最容易接受的方式之一。 拉齐民族地区读书“起跑线”,从化解困扰民族教育的“听不懂”难题开始。党的十八大以来,四川省实施民族团结进步示范工程,持续铸牢中华民族共同体意识,把全面加强国家通用语言文字教育作为做好民族工作的长远之策、固本之举,有力促进民族地区教育发展。 正在上课的学生。 唐启浩 摄陈婷婷介绍,幼儿园的小朋友入园之初,老师们会对每位小朋友的语言情况进行摸底,“一人一策”开展教育。如果遇到普通话基础薄弱的学生,老师除了逐字逐句的帮其翻译,还会用图片、音频帮学生加深印象。“小朋友学好普通话后,回家能带动父母掌握普通话,更好和各族村民沟通,让他们的关系更加融洽。” “我20年前当老师的时候,每逢春秋季开学,所有老师都会去学生家,动员家长让学生读书,而现在是家长想方设法让学生读更好的学校。”谈及民族团结进步示范工程为民族地区教育带来的变化,昭觉县教科体局副局长郑杰这样说。 中央民族工作会议指出,要推广普及国家通用语言文字,科学保护各民族语言文字,尊重和保障少数民族语言文字学习和使用。让民族地区孩子在学前学会普通话、“突破语言关”,是四川铸牢中华民族共同体意识、拉齐民族地区读书“起跑线”的重要途径之一。 近年来,四川在全省民族地区52个县(市区)依托“一村一幼”计划持续推进“学前学会普通话”行动,3934个幼教点17万余名儿童接受国家通用语言训练。与此同时,四川还以34所中小学为示范引领,广泛开展铸牢中华民族共同体意识主题教育实践活动。 位于四川省绵阳市北川羌族自治县的永昌小学,便是四川首批中小学铸牢中华民族共同体意识教育实践活动试点学校。永昌小学教育集团副校长倪会介绍,随着“中华民族一家亲,同心共筑中国梦”等系列主题教育实践活动举行,推进“互联网+民族团结”行动的开展,以及学校的校园环境、办学条件更加现代化,如今学校民族氛围变得更加的和谐。 永昌小学五年级六班学生赵语辰在主题教育实践活动中担当了“小小红色讲解员”。“我想让更多的人了解中国革命的历史,感受中华民族的伟大。”赵语辰说,为了讲好“中华民族一家亲,同心共筑中国梦”的故事,她会从图书、课堂、生活中尽可能多地搜集红色素材,还会经常阅读红色党史故事。“要反复琢磨讲解词,理解其中的含义,才能讲出真情实感。” 正在上课的学生。 唐启浩 摄为民族地区学生夯实全面发展的基石,推动青少年文化学习和体育锻炼协调发展,四川省民族宗教事务委员会创新实施“同运动·一家亲”项目,在民族地区教育领域,尤其是各类学校,优选推广普及程度高、群众基础好的体育运动项目,搭建各族学生交往交流交融的平台,有效推动民族团结进步创建工作大众化、人文化,大力营造中华民族一家亲的社会氛围。 建于1962年的广元树人中学是一所有汉族、藏族、彝族、回族、羌族等多民族成分的学校。学校创新“巴蜀教师进高原”“共享课堂进学校”“联合教研进课堂”品牌教学模式,促进各民族师生跨区域团结互助、共同进步。 “我是朝鲜族,来到广元市树人中学,受到老师亲人般的关爱和各民族同学无微不至的关心,温暖伴着我快乐学习,健康成长。”广元树人中学高2021级4班学生金洋明说。 近年来,四川抓住教育这一关键领域和学生这一关键群体,推进铸牢中华民族共同体意识与学校党的建设、意识形态工作、思政教育、校园文化建设、日常管理、队伍建设、教育教学深度融合,建成131个省级以上民族团结进步示范学校。 未来,四川将深入学习贯彻党的二十大精神,以铸牢中华民族共同体意识为主线,以民族团结进步创建工作为重要抓手,持续推动民族地区教育高质量发展,为构筑中华民族共有精神家园夯实根基。(完)
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