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.
中国社科院考古所2022年开展37项田野考古 新老项目均有重要收获****** 中新网北京1月12日电 (记者 孙自法)中国社会科学院考古研究所(社科院考古所)2022年度田野考古工作汇报会1月10日至11日在北京举行,陕西太平遗址、河南裴李岗遗址、辽宁牛河梁遗址、新疆呼斯塔遗址等37个发掘项目逐一汇报各自研究进展,并进行交流研讨。 中国社科院学部委员、考古所所长陈星灿研究员作会议总结表示,这37项田野考古工作分布在全国16个省区,新老项目均取得重要收获,对于构建文化谱系、填补发现空白、解决遗址布局等重大学术问题,都提供了重要的考古新材料。 这37个田野考古项目包括史前考古10项、夏商周考古10项、汉唐考古13项、边疆考古4项,时代上从旧石器时代晚期一直到宋元明清时期;内容上涵盖现代人起源及扩散、农业起源、新石器时代文化起源、文明起源、南岛语族起源和扩散、统一多民族国家的形成和发展、中外文化交流等诸多研究课题。 陈星灿指出,尽管受疫情和疫情防控的影响,中国社科院考古所2022年度国外考古项目完全陷入停顿,但国内田野考古工作还是有很大收获,有很多新的重要发现,取得十分优异的成绩。该年度新的田野考古项目包括福建平潭龟山、海南万宁湾仔头、云南昭通朱提古城等,但更多是长期发掘的重要遗址特别是古代都城,如禹会、陶寺、新砦、二里头、偃师商城、洹北商城、殷墟、周原、汉长安城、汉魏洛阳城、邺城、隋唐长安城、隋唐洛阳城、唐宋扬州城、辽上京等遗址,其田野考古工作延续多年也取得重要成绩。 从总体上看,中国社科院考古所2022年度田野考古项目不论规模大小,考古工作者都有明确的学术目的、学术目标和课题意识,不少田野项目采取精细提取信息的发掘方法,实施精细化发掘,三维扫描、地理信息系统等先进技术得到广泛应用,信息提取水平较以前有很大提高。同时,包括动植物考古、人骨考古、冶金考古、年代学研究、环境考古、同位素分析、古DNA分析、微痕分析、残留物分析、埋藏学等在内的各种研究上,多学科合作广泛运用已成为从史前到历史时期田野考古发掘和研究的常态。 陈星灿强调,田野工作是考古资料收集和一切考古研究的基础,必须抓紧抓实。在田野考古工作中,中国社科院考古所考古工作者文物保护意识空前加强,遗迹和遗物在发掘中就得到及时保护。 他也坦言,虽然田野考古发掘简报和报告的撰写日益受到重视,但这方面仍有很大提升空间,许多重要遗址的田野报告,还需要投入更多时间和精力以尽快完成出版。 “很高兴年轻一代考古人正充分成长起来,‘70后’‘80后’已成为田野考古的主力,‘90后’也开始成为田野考古的中坚力量,相信未来的田野考古工作会更精彩、也会有更多成果。”陈星灿说。(完) (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |