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.
中共二十大“立己达人” 与世界同行****** (中共二十大·观察)中共二十大“立己达人” 与世界同行 中新社北京10月21日电 题：中共二十大“立己达人” 与世界同行 中新社记者 张蔚然 翻看中共二十大报告，两个词连日来被中外媒体反复谈及。 一是“人民”，从“以人民为中心”到“守的是人民的心”，“人民至上”的价值理念贯穿始终，分量最重。二是“人类”，从“人类面临的共同问题”到“全人类共同价值”，“胸怀天下”的眼光关照世界，展现格局。  10月16日，中国共产党第二十次全国代表大会在北京人民大会堂隆重开幕。 中新社记者 毛建军 摄在中国共产党的政治词典中，“坚持人民至上”和“坚持胸怀天下”都是至关重要的世界观和方法论，不仅被列入党的百年奋斗历史经验，也在二十大报告中被突出强调。 这两个“坚持”的背后，都是人的发展。连接中国人民和世界人民的，也是发展这一最大公约数。多年来，中国共产党一直把搞好本国的发展和给世界发展带来贡献紧密结合在一起，以“立己达人”的理念促进中国人民与世界人民的互动、同行和共赢。 中共二十大对中国道路的擘画折射了这一理念。“坚持人民至上”，正使中国更好做到“立己”；“坚持胸怀天下”，则使中国更好兼顾“达人”。 中国将发展立于自身力量的基点上，从描绘中国式现代化，到规划教育、就业、社保、医药等细分领域发展，二十大报告以更周密的部署兼顾“14亿多”和“每一个”。“坚持人民至上”，意味着14亿多中国人要集体进入现代化，这是国家发展水平的整体跃迁；但也必须是共同富裕的现代化，不允许出现像一些西方国家那样“财富在一端积累、贫困在另一端积累”等状况。  资料图：2022年9月26日，北京市长安街沿线国庆主题花坛亮相，吸引市民拍照“打卡”。图为位于军事博物馆前广场的“命运共同体”花坛，寓意深化全球发展合作，共创共享和平繁荣美好未来。 中新社记者 赵文宇 摄以更好的自身发展为基础，中共二十大“坚持胸怀天下”。过去，中国没有采取殖民侵略、单纯资本驱动、掠夺大自然等西方国家现代化的传统路径，而是依靠自身走出了一条独立自主、和平发展、和谐共生的新路。 如今，“胸怀天下”绝不意味着包办解决其他国家各自复杂的内部问题，而是着眼全人类的共同命运，为共同发展提供中国机遇，为共性难题提供中国方案。 由二十大报告具体部署观之，从着力推动高质量发展，到推进高水平对外开放，从增强国内大循环内生动力和可靠性，到提升国际循环质量和水平，从推动共建“一带一路”高质量发展，到维护多元稳定的国际经济格局和经贸关系，这都是惠及中国人和世界各国民众的多赢之举。 由中国及世界，中共二十大将全人类的共同发展放在了同一视野之中，这正是“立己达人”古老智慧在当下的传承。(完)
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