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.
沪政协委员:推动“上海智造”成为世界商品、全球产品******
中新网上海1月10日电(记者 范宇斌)“上海是中国高端产业要素汇聚地、前沿产业创新引领地和先进制造水平示范地,全力推动‘上海智造’成为‘世界商品’‘全球产品’是‘国家所需、上海所向’,也是上海的天然使命和内生动力。”上海市政协委员、民盟上海市委常委、太平人寿保险有限公司上海自贸试验区分公司副总经理尧金仁10日如是说。
当日,中国人民政治协商会议上海市第十四届委员会第一次会议开幕首日,大会现场开启“委员时间”,邀请多位上海市政协委员围绕民生、教育、产业制造、文化、法治等热点话题通过网络直播进行分享和解答。
尧金仁是一位连续参加了三届政协履职工作的“老委员”。他说,放眼全球,具有世界影响力的国家或城市必有一种或几种响当当的“世界商品”“全球产品”。如瑞士的钟表和军刀、德国的奔驰和宝马、美国的制药、日本的电器、法国的香水等。“从某种意义上说,今天的‘上海智造’与历史上的茶叶、香料、咖啡、蔗糖等,本质上都是‘世界需求’下的‘全球产品’。”
在尧金仁看来,“上海智造”的历史底蕴、产业布局、综合优势叠加,是支撑上海建设“五个中心”和具有世界影响力的社会主义现代化国际大都市的重要底气和实力。他建议,上海应该在高端产业的引领、现代金融的配合、科技创新的支撑等方面继续发力,全力推动“上海智造”成为“世界商品”“全球产品”。
他谈及要以“世界影响力”的能级标准为标尺,全面提升“上海智造”能级。“比如,可以持续优化‘上海智造’空间格局,在上海主城区外、‘五个新城’、自贸区临港新片区建设各具特色的主导产业;全力打造集研发设计、智能制造、集成服务于一体的标志性世界级产业集群;持续强化深度融合,如汽车制造与研发、能源服务、进出口相融合,智能制造与金融、贸易、仓储、物流、航运建设相融合等。”
在现代金融的配合方面,尧金仁在调研中发现,现代金融在支持高科技企业方面取得了很大成就,但也面临比较突出的问题,“尤其对于硬科技来说,它的研发周期较长、风险较大,尤其需要中长期资本支持。”
他建议,可以发挥政府基金的引导作用,深化科创板改革发展,优先支持智能制造企业登陆资本市场,加快构建科创金融服务体系,打造与科创模式相匹配的优质创新资本中心,更好发挥注册制改革牵引作用等。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)