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.
江苏多类案件发案率显著下降 民众安全感创历史新高****** 中新网南京1月10日电 (记者杨颜慈)江苏省公安厅10日召开2022年全省公安工作情况通报大会。记者从会上获悉,江苏刑事案件发案率、网络诈骗发案数、寻衅滋事警情等均呈现下降,江苏民众安全感创历史新高。 过去一年,江苏省公安工作和队伍建设质态显著提升,民众安全感达99.5%,创历史新高,42项创新做法被公安部通报、向全国推广。 江苏省公安厅负责同志表示,警方紧盯人民群众最怨最烦最恨的违法犯罪,组织开展系列专项打击行动,全年刑事案件破案率上升2.7%,发案率下降8.5%,八类严重刑事案件破案率保持在95%以上。 “通过狠抓命案侦破和积案攻坚,现行命案连续第五年全破,30起命案积案昭雪,最长的沉积时间达32年。对于命案积案,时间再长,我们也决不放弃,直到把正义追回。”该负责人表示。 通过深入开展“盗抢骗”违法犯罪侦破会战,持续推进打击欺诈骗保、文物犯罪等专项行动,破案数、抓获犯罪嫌疑人数同比分别上升6.7%、21%,一批国宝级文物回归国家怀抱。 通过严厉打击突出经济犯罪活动,组织开展打击地下钱庄专项行动,成功斩断多条跨境非法资金通道。 对于与百姓息息相关的电信网络诈骗犯罪问题,警方持续组织开展“云剑”“断卡”“断流”“断链”等一系列打击整治电信网络诈骗犯罪专项行动,及时发现、有效封堵涉诈网站105亿次,拦截诈骗电话4.8亿次、诈骗短信9000余万条。江苏电信网络诈骗发案数、损失数同比分别下降15.3%、3.1%。 与此同时,公安持续打好社会治安整治仗,通过开展“苏安行动”,全力投入夏季治安打击整治“百日行动”,先后开展15轮治安集中清查和875次临查临检行动。平均每天5.1万名警力巡防在大街小巷,日夜守护着百姓安全,“两抢”、寻衅滋事警情同比分别下降9.9%、16.7%,人民群众的安全感更加充实。 江苏警方表示,2023年,将以更加强烈的历史主动和责任担当,全面实施新时代强警战略,努力以新安全格局保障新发展格局、以高水平安全保障高质量发展,为“扛起新使命、谱写新篇章”作出新的更大贡献。(完) (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |