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.
湖南湘潭：绿能、绿建、绿楼构筑“双碳”城市****** 【环保时空】 湖南省湘潭市是20世纪50年代兴起的老工业基地，过去因为重工业集中、高能耗产业密集，曾给人留下灰蒙蒙的印象。记者近期走访发现，湘潭市用浅层地热、工业余热等绿色能源作为空调用能，用“积木楼宇”等绿色建筑打造高层住宅，助力落实碳达峰、碳中和目标任务。 12月上旬，寒潮挟着冷雨来袭，湘潭市户外十分湿冷。但走进总建筑面积6.8万平方米的湘潭市“一站式”政务服务中心“市民之家”，里面温度适宜，来办事的市民觉得很舒适。 “我们的水源热泵中央空调系统用附近湖湘公园的湖水作为冷热源，冬季从湖水中‘提’出热能，夏季将热能从室内抽出来‘排’进湖水，能很好满足‘市民之家’的空调用能需求。”“市民之家”空调项目负责人林宣军说，这套水源热泵中央空调系统相比传统中央空调，每年节约标准煤1500吨、减少二氧化碳排放3930吨，同步水处理还改善了公园湖泊水环境。 在石油、天然气等传统石化能源矿藏匮乏的湘潭，湘江和城市湖泊浅层地热资源、电厂废弃余热、太阳能和光伏等新能源正被日益广泛运用。湘潭市住建局节能科技科科长黄文桂介绍，随着一批企业新项目的推进，湘潭市正在节能减排方面不断取得新进展。 用活、用好绿色能源的同时，湘潭市的绿色建筑也越来越多。黄文桂说，湘潭市目前有808.3万平方米新楼宇通过工厂流水线装配式生产、工地上“搭积木”式建造。在湘潭市高新区“建工·司南”项目工地，湖南省第三工程有限公司总工程师孙志勇介绍，“工厂造、现场装”的这个项目不仅质量安全可靠，还能提高生产效率、节约建筑能耗和物料、减轻扬尘和噪音等污染。 湘潭市住建局局长潘永其介绍，湘潭市将绿色建筑发展指标列为土地出让的必要条件，提出市中心城区装配式建筑占比不少于50%、市县不少于35%。对于老旧小区，湘潭市大力推动节能改造，两年多来已改造老旧小区450个，涉及房屋2910栋。 “广泛形成绿色生产生活方式是大势所趋，湘潭将抓住国家低碳城市试点这个重要契机，争取在‘双碳城市’‘宜居城市’建设方面有更大作为。”潘永其说。（新华社记者 苏晓洲 陈泽国） 网盟彩票地图 |
