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.
百余指标,标定兴武之路******
打造党管武装、智慧动员等22个建设品牌,开展军地联合指挥机构规范、党支部标准化建设等6个试点,大学生入伍比例稳定在90%以上……年终岁尾,河南省军区党委用党的二十大精神指导筹划新年度工作并科学论证编制第二个“三年规划”,对标对表上级工作部署,制定涵盖37个重点工作的106项具体工作指标,压实强军兴武的责任担当。
“高标准的工作谋划和清晰的目标规划,一定程度决定着单位建设发展的方向、层次和质量。”省军区政委徐元鸿告诉记者,2020年,他们结合职能任务制定省军区建设第一个“三年规划”,细化每年党管武装、备战打仗、兵员征集、民兵建设等重点工作的目标、标准和方法,以党管武装模范县考评、军地互提需求互办实事“双清单”制度等工作为抓手,实现重点工作持续突破、全面建设提质增效。
“对标职责使命我们缺什么,聚焦备战打仗我们干什么,推动高质量发展我们立什么”,党的二十大胜利闭幕后,该省军区着眼推进打仗型国防动员建设,围绕“巩固提高一体化国家战略体系和能力”“增加新域新质作战力量比重”等新课题、新要求,深入地方政府机关、驻军部队、科研院校召开座谈会20多场,收集数百组数据,推动党的二十大精神进入思想、进入工作,转化为强军兴武的务实举措、标准规范,融入省军区各项建设。
聚焦备战打仗是该省军区筹划新年度工作的核心指向。记者在该省军区战备建设局新年度工作计划中看到,该局聚焦国防动员备战打仗准备,紧扣民兵建设质效,筹划打造“河南后备铁军”等4个优质品牌,对应设置指挥能力达标率等12项关键指标。“三年规划”要求全省民兵分队基地轮训率、新质力量编建率等每年提升1个百分点。
“这些指标并非空穴来风,都建立在科学数据支撑基础上。”该局参谋张晨说,未来3年全省每年将有4至5个民兵训练基地建成投入使用,基地化、整建制轮训承训民兵能力持续提高;全省平均每年新增高新技术企业1800多家,为扩大新质民兵力量规模提供了可靠保证。
“科学的规划计划应因时而定、因势而变,做到实事求是、紧贴实际。”省军区司令员赵钧介绍,近年来,该省军区走开“理论学习、研究问题、进入决策”的方法路子,开设“强军中原大讲堂”,围绕部队重点工作先后组织24次集中研讨,不断用习近平强军思想武装头脑、指导工作、谋划发展。今年下半年征兵,他们积极响应人才强军号召,在充分调研论证基础上,优化高学历青年应征入伍政策措施,使大学毕业生入伍比例提高20多个百分点。在筹划新年度工作时,他们拟完善精准征兵工作机制,采取优先征集特长专业学生等措施,持续提高大学毕业生入伍比例。
“一流建设要靠精心设计、规划牵引,更要靠精准督导、精细落实。”为发挥编制规划对部队建设的牵引作用,该省军区研究出台《加强机关工作统筹的措施》,采取每周交班汇报年度重点工作进展情况,每月汇报基础性工作清单、讲评推进基层抓建情况、报告经费使用进度等机制措施,狠抓以备战打仗为核心的年度目标任务刚性落实,确保每一项工作都严格按路线图、时间表推进,紧紧抓在手上、件件落到实处。(李光辉)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)