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.
“中国宫灯第一村”河北屯头：盏盏红灯照亮中国年****** (新春走基层)“中国宫灯第一村”河北屯头：盏盏红灯照亮中国年 中新网石家庄1月18日电 题：“中国宫灯第一村”河北屯头：盏盏红灯照亮中国年 作者 李玉素 俱凝搏 挂红灯笼是中国春节的传统习俗，红色寓意喜庆，而圆形的灯笼寓意着团圆美满。春节临近，走进“中国宫灯第一村”——河北省石家庄市藁城区屯头村，红纱灯笼摆满道路两旁，家家户户正在赶制灯笼订单。 藁城宫灯起源于东汉，由古人用的纱罩灯衍变而来。清乾隆年间，皇帝下江南路过藁城，看见老百姓门前挂的红灯笼，外表华丽，工艺精湛，就带回宫中悬挂，故得名“宫灯”。 作为河北省级非物质文化遗产，藁城宫灯以红纱灯最为出名，其材料以竹子为骨架，通过劈、刮、打眼、穿丝等多道工艺，制成椭圆形状，外敷红色绸布制成宫灯。  图为工人赶制宫灯。 翟羽佳 摄“每年从11月份开始屯头村就进入了生产、销售灯笼的旺季，目前屯头村各类宫灯年产量达1亿对，占国内90%的市场份额。”据屯头村党支部书记白理伟介绍，近年，藁城区大力发展宫灯特色产业，逐渐形成了以屯头村为中心，辐射周边乡镇的制作与销售区域，其产品统称“藁城宫灯”。 白理伟笑说，“藁城宫灯在海外也很受欢迎，今年出口订单以越南为主，越南人也过春节，而最受欢迎的还是咱们传统的圆形红纱灯。” 随着时代发展，藁城宫灯不断在质量和品种上改进。据藁城区宫灯协会会长白会平介绍，藁城宫灯已由过去的单一品种发展到现在的转灯、羊皮灯、纸雕灯等18个系列200多个品种，造型也由过去单一的椭圆形发展到南瓜形、圆球形等多种形状。 “这款灯笼支持定制图案、文字，有需要的家人们可以看看咱们的1号链接……”走进屯头村宫灯制作大户苏云广家中，主播正通过电商平台介绍灯笼产品。  图为工人制作超大灯笼。 翟羽佳 摄随着互联网电商的发展，藁城宫灯的销售渠道从线下逐渐发展到线上。苏云广说，这几年家里一半以上的宫灯都是通过电商平台销售，电商扩宽了宫灯的销售渠道，也让这项技艺被更多人熟知。 目前，屯头村共有电商平台400余家，涵盖多个电商平台和销售网站，从业人员超过2000人，单纯电商渠道年产值超5亿元，占全部销售量的四成左右。 大红灯笼高高挂，红红火火迎新年。一盏盏红灯笼，从屯头村走向五湖四海，也让中国“年味儿”照亮海内外。(完)
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