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.
南湖革命纪念馆:传承红色基因 守好红色根脉******
2002年10月22日,习近平同志到浙江履新的第11天,就来到嘉兴考察,并视察南湖、瞻仰红船。此后,他又多次到嘉兴考察,瞻仰红船、参观南湖革命纪念馆。特别是2017年10月31日,习近平总书记带领第十九届中央政治局常委集体瞻仰南湖红船、参观南湖革命纪念馆并发表重要讲话,为嘉兴继承光荣传统、赓续红色血脉指明了方向、提供了根本遵循。
南湖革命纪念馆作为中国革命红船起航地纪念馆、红色根脉所在地,把学习宣传贯彻党的二十大精神作为当前和今后一个时期的首要政治任务和头等大事,把坚定自觉地用党的二十大精神统一思想和行动摆在最突出位置,在学深悟透上做表率,在宣传宣讲上增氛围,在贯彻落实上见成效,推动党的二十大精神深度融入党性教育。
南湖革命纪念馆基本陈列序厅 南湖革命纪念馆供图
早在2004年3月,时任浙江省委书记的习近平同志专程就统筹城乡发展、推进城乡一体化到嘉兴开展调研,认为嘉兴完全有条件成为浙江省乃至全国统筹城乡发展的典范,并在深入调研考察基础上,主持召开浙江省统筹城乡发展、推进城乡一体化工作座谈会。随后,嘉兴制定了城乡一体化发展规划纲要,成为全国首个提出此类纲要的地级市。
党的二十大报告提出“三个务必”,其中强调全党同志务必不忘初心、牢记使命。这是新征程上弘扬伟大建党精神、传承“红船精神”的具体体现,更是新时代践行以伟大建党精神为源头的中国共产党人精神谱系的切实行动。南湖革命纪念馆立足红色根脉重要标识,弘扬伟大建党精神、传承“红船精神”,发挥思想政治工作传家宝和生命线作用,进一步挖掘展示红色资源的思想内涵和时代价值,强化党性教育功能,强化党的创建史和习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的研究阐释,围绕革命、建设、改革各个历史时期的重大事件,充分发挥红色文化的引领作用,教育引导广大干部群众坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导,进一步提高政治站位、健全工作机制、强化工作措施,真正让红色基因融入血液、融入品格、融入时代,从而在用好红色资源中守好红色根脉。
南湖革命纪念馆作为初心之地纪念馆,努力筑牢学习宣传实践习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的阵地,健全党史学习教育长效机制。他们通过聚焦“初心使命”“伟大建党精神”“红船精神”,加强红色资源的系统研究研讨,夯实基础性研究,用好“红船起航”主题展这个主阵地和红色资源宝库。
依托丰富生动的红色资源,南湖革命纪念馆创新服务思政课程的宣讲载体,组织全体宣讲员集体备课,并通过系统学习和深入交流,在学深悟透党的二十大报告的基础上打磨形成了系列精品党课,开展“七进”宣讲活动,打好具有辨识度、影响力的学习宣传贯彻党的二十大精神的组合拳。始终把“守好红色根脉,当好红船卫士”作为使命和担当,时刻牢记习近平总书记的殷殷嘱托,加强红船的科学管理保护,秉承“两年一大修,一年一小修”原则,确保其完好如初。通过编织陆地、水面、水下和空中的立体防护体系,联合公安、消防等部门设立24小时护卫岗,启动联动保护机制,全方位无死角筑牢红船防护线。几十年来,红船始终以其固有的平静和博大接受着人们的瞻仰,向每一位到访者讲述着中国共产党诞生的那段伟大历史。
围绕习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想和党的二十大精神,南湖革命纪念馆面向党员干部群体,坚持问题导向,持续深化“六个一”主题教育,把理想信念教育贯穿在“六个一”主题教育中,发挥南湖革命纪念地独特优势,不断创新宣讲手段和方式方法。通过开设“红船大课堂”“南湖水上课堂”,不断拓展“六个一”教学阵地;挖掘红船故事、“红船精神”,不断创新“六个一”教学内容;开发“重走一大路”体验式党性教育项目,不断创新“六个一”教学形式,进一步将“六个一”主题教育活动打造成为弘扬“伟大建党精神”“红船精神”、不忘初心使命的精品课程。(徐继宏)