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。
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.
连战回忆录披露台政坛秘闻,两岸关系是其中浓墨重彩一笔****** 【环球时报特约记者 于名】国民党前主席连战历时15年撰写的《连战回忆录——我的永平之路》,1月17日在岛内出版。 连战办公室主任彭国省表示,连战写回忆录是忠实记述当时的氛围与事件,面对自己走过的岁月,检讨自己的工作奉献,分享给读者。两岸关系自然是书中浓墨重彩的一笔,据台湾《联合报》17日报道,连战在最后篇章对两岸关系提出建议,力主“两岸应该推动政治对话、追求最终和平”,强调“和平”与“发展”是两岸关系最关键课题。他透露,2008年底上海论坛期间,因为两岸已达成向前推动经济合作的方案,除了货物贸易与服务贸易要再谈外,未来就是要碰触政治层面的制度性问题。当时大陆方面对连战表示,“我们好好再继续努力,没有什么解决不了的”。连战回台湾后特别向马英九报告说,“我们是否可以好好规划,两岸可就政治架构难题商讨未来的制度性安排”。但马英九回应说,政治议题非一蹴而就,应秉持“先易后难、先经后政、先急后缓”的原则,像堆积木方式来进行。 连战表示,其实2012年马英九竞选连任前夕,“过境”美国时曾抛出未来可推动两岸签署和平协议的主张,一度引起广泛讨论,但后来不了了之,不知是否受到美国压力,到马2016年5月卸任,都未再谈起该议题。2014年及2016年国民党连续选举大败,在两岸问题上采取保守做法仍未守住政权,现在很多人在检讨反省,“但历史的进程真是当断未断,反受其乱”。连战曾说,两岸事务哪一样是单纯的经济?每样都避不开政治,他真心期盼有政治家能把上一代留下的历史问题,在我们这代有效解决,别留给下一代。 连战在书中还谈到与马英九有关的另一件事——1997年的“白晓燕命案”。他写道,命案发生后,民进党以治安败坏为由要求“行政院”改组,并发起游行,但连战认为,任何社会都会发生骇人听闻的绑架撕票案,从未听闻要上纲到“行政院长”下台,这是民进党在借题发挥,所以即使第一时间时任“内政部长”林丰正要请辞,他也并未答应。后来“白晓燕案”持续延烧,作为“政务委员”的马英九提出辞呈,连战当时也对马这个政治动作感到不快,“让我有被落井下石之感”。连战还派人去力劝马打消辞意,但马英九坚持不回去上班,后来也逼得“内阁”进行改组,“这也是我在行政院期间一段较为不快的回忆”。2007年马英九要参选时曾去看他,承诺当选后重启对于“3·19枪击案”的调查,但遗憾的是马当选后的8年未对本案重启调查,令真相无法大白。 马英九基金会执行长萧旭岑表示,书中提到当年的治安问题,负责任的政治人物会在必要时担负起责任,向民意负责,这是民主政治应有的样貌,马在当时也做了正确的决定。彭国省则表示,“连战对马英九没有意见”。据悉,连战在“跋”中特别感谢马英九连续5年亚太经合组织(APEC)会议委托他代表参与的信任与托付,也感谢马在任内实现“和平之旅”五大愿景。2月7日,连战将在经国七海文化园区举办新书发表会,仅邀5人致辞,第一位就是马英九。另四位为国民党主席朱立伦、前“立法院长”王金平、前“行政院长”刘兆玄以及出生在台南的史学家郑喜夫。 连战在回忆录里还特别谈到2004年的“3·19枪击案”。他写道,他和宋楚瑜当晚本来准备对30万泛蓝支持者发表公开演说,但因为枪击案事发突然,连战宣布停止所有竞选活动。连宋探视陈水扁遭拒,且质疑陈水扁和吕秀莲封锁“并不严重的病情”。对此,陈水扁16日发表声明称,婉拒连战慰问是考虑有众多媒体在场的探视可能有所不便,“事件并非自导自演”。彭国省则回应说,陈水扁的声明跟当年一样谎话连篇,他声称因众多媒体在场而婉拒连宋探视,但记者都被隔在外面,哪来众多媒体? 台湾《中国时报》17日评论称,连战这本回忆录记录了他从国民党要员,到卸任后推动两岸和平交流的过往,重现国民党主政时期带领台湾蓬勃发展、不断推进两岸和平的历程,“宛如浓缩版台湾现代史”。对比现在的执政党,有今非昔比之感。 (环球时报) (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() ![]() 乐中彩票地图 |