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.
【寻味中华】嗜葱山东人,凡美食处皆有葱香******
中新社济南1月10日电 题:嗜葱山东人,凡美食处皆有葱香
作者 李明芮
吃葱,对山东人来说乃一幸事。在山东,从商超到市集,凡有美食处,皆葱香弥漫。
《后汉书》中记载,有人宴客“设麦饭葱叶之食”,客人拒吃,更置盛馔后乃食。想必其客不是山东人,待客之葱也不是章丘大葱,席上或许还缺了一盘蘸酱。
连续种植大葱30余年的王金村村民苗发勇,是当地颇具名气的葱农,曾培育出2.532米的“当代葱王”。梁犇 摄葱在人为,吃起葱来,也各有各法。蹲在街边,持一尺多长的大葱,蘸勺豆瓣酱,再裹张大煎饼,一口咬下……坐在店里,用乳白翠绿的葱丝,蘸上甜面酱,配着烤鸭薄饼,咬上一口,美哉妙哉……
《管子》载:“桓公五年,北伐山戎,得冬葱与戎椒,布之天下。”而今,大葱之于山东人,就如辣椒之于四川人,是民众餐桌上的美味,更是舌尖上的“乡愁”。
诺贝尔文学奖得主莫言曾在给父亲的一封信中提到对山东大葱的思念,甚至还为大葱写了一首打油诗:“韭菜炉包肥肉丁,白面烙饼卷大葱。再加一碟豆瓣酱,想不快乐也不中。”
据明朝嘉靖九年《章丘县志》记载:“葱以产女郎山者为最”。作为“葱中之王”,章丘大葱堪称一绝,其核心产区在当地女郎山西麓乔家村、马家村、王金村等一带。连续种植大葱30余年的王金村村民苗发勇,是当地颇具名气的葱农,曾培育出2.532米的“当代葱王”。
苗发勇查看大葱长势。梁犇 摄“夏季多雨湿润,冬春季干旱的气候,最适于大葱生长发育。章丘大葱的灌溉水源是发源于百脉泉群的绣江河,水质清纯。”苗发勇告诉记者,章丘大葱宜生吃,甜、脆、嫩,葱白长,葱叶少。深开沟、高培土是保证高葱白的关键栽培措施,经多代提纯复壮获得的“大梧桐”等品种最佳。
“肤白貌美”的葱白、碧绿鲜嫩的葱叶,章丘大葱是嗜葱人口中不可多得的佳品。中国著名作家老舍在《济南的大葱》一文中说,“济南的葱白起码有三尺来长吧……鲜,白,带着滋养生命的乳浆!”葱白是一层层的,可以剥开,“看见这些纹儿,再看看馍馍,你非多吃半斤馍馍不可。人们常说——带着讽刺的意味——山东人吃的多,是不知葱之美者也!”
据《章丘县志》记载,“大明嘉靖九年庆,女郎仙葱登龙庭,万岁食之赞甜脆,葱中之王御旨封”。早在明嘉靖年间,大葱就从贫贱之食,成了贡品。时至今日,葱烧海参不仅上了国宴,大葱还成了伴手礼、国礼。
2014年,章丘大葱亮相亚太经合组织(APEC)第二十二次领导人非正式会议欢迎晚宴;2020年,章丘大葱以2.532米的长度获得“世界最长的葱”吉尼斯世界纪录。
葱油、葱酱、葱花蜂巢蜜……雅作俗时俗亦雅,如今在山东,万物皆可融“大葱”。大葱包容但不失个性,接地气但不失大气,够味儿、带劲儿。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |