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.
应急管理部调度部署春节假期安全防范工作******
中新网北京1月19日电 (记者 陈溯 郭超凯)记者19日从中国应急管理部获悉,应急管理部18日召开视频调度会议,全面分析春节假期安全风险特点,对安全防范工作进行再动员再部署再落实。
会议指出,今年春节正处疫情防控转段的关键期,各种不确定不稳定因素明显增多,客流剧增对安全管理造成冲击,高危行业高负荷运行加大安全风险,疫情变化带来新挑战,自然灾害防范压力很大。各级应急管理部门和消防救援队伍要切实提高政治站位,深刻认识做好今年春节安全防范工作的特殊重要性,务必保持高度警惕,切实增强责任感紧迫感,牢牢守住不发生重特大事故的底线。
会议要求,要把握节日特点,有效稳控公共安全形势。抓好消防安全,加强对人员密集场所的安全检查,确保消防设施完好、电气燃气设备安全、逃生通道畅通、值班人员在岗。联合有关部门对诊疗压力大的基层和农村医疗机构加强安全检查,强化养老机构消防安全指导;协调抓好春运和旅游安全,推动有关部门和基层组织对“红白事”占道、马路市场问题开展专项整治,加强农用车载人治理,继续加大对长途客车、民航高铁、客船轮渡等安全检查力度,加强对高风险游乐设施隐患排查整治;配合做好大型聚集性活动安保,对各地举办的大型活动要提前介入,督促制定完备的应急预案,前置救援小组,确保出现紧急情况第一时间有效处置。同时,要加大节假日安全科普宣传力度,引导群众主动识险避险,做好自身安全的第一责任人。要深刻吸取教训,坚决遏制高危行业领域重特大事故。各地要保持节日期间监管执法力度不减,督促落实矿领导带班下井和危化重大危险源安全包保责任制度,加强灾害严重、大班次等重点矿井检查巡查,对检维修、动火、有限空间等高危作业落实安全保障措施。其他高危行业领域也要紧抓不放,尤其要强化烟花爆竹生产、销售、储存、燃放各环节安全管控,重拳打击各类“黑窝点”;加强对冶金、建材等重点工贸企业和不停工重大建筑工程的安全检查,及时消除事故隐患。
会议强调,要强化应急准备,有力有效应对冬季自然灾害。做好雨雪冰冻灾害应对准备,加强节日期间灾害预警、风险提示和防灾避险指引,进一步完善与有关部门的信息共享和协调联动机制,提前落实预案、力量、物资和技术保障等应急准备;严密防范森林火灾,教育引导群众春节文明祭祀,对重点林区协调开展巡查检查和联合执法,严格野外火源管控,坚决遏制人为因素引发火灾;做好节日救灾救助工作,前期下拨的救灾资金和物资要确保到户到人,节日期间受灾的要及时启动救灾响应,千方百计保障好群众基本生活,确保温暖过冬。要严明纪律规矩,从严抓好节日期间机关和队伍管理。严格应急值班备勤,精心安排春节期间的值班值守,严格落实信息报告制度,消防救援队伍和安全生产专业救援队伍要提高勤务等级,针对冬季灾害特点强化装备、力量准备,确保关键时刻拉得出、冲得上、打得赢。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |