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.
一片茶叶 从安溪走向世界****** 安溪,地处闽南金三角泉州、厦门、漳州中间结合部,是中国乌龙茶之乡。“从宋元时期开始,只要船能到的地方,就有安溪的茶。”谈到安溪茶的发展历史,魏月德自豪地说道。 茶农正在茶园采摘茶叶(受访者供图) 作为海上丝绸之路上的常客,中国茶一直是对外重要的中国符号。而安溪铁观音作为乌龙茶中最为璀璨的一颗明珠,也一直在世界的舞台上展示着其独有的魅力。 “安溪县的产茶历史始于唐朝,宋元时期安溪茶叶作为重要的外销商品,通过海上丝绸之路走向世界。至明代中叶,安溪全县已经大面积种植茶叶。清朝雍正年间发现了安溪铁观音这一珍稀茶树品种,20世纪初,安溪铁观音成为畅销东南亚的‘侨销茶’。侨居东南亚各国的安溪人,积极行销家乡的乌龙茶,倡导饮用家乡的乌龙茶。”魏月德介绍。 铁观音母树前的石碑(受访者供图) 七泡有余香,独具观音韵。原产于福建省泉州市安溪县的铁观音,已有300多年的历史。在这里有一个关于铁观音的美丽传说:300年前,魏月德的祖先魏荫发现一株破石而出的茶树,便将此茶树在打石坑压苗繁殖,日后成为了中国最有名的茶之一。 今年5月20日,安溪铁观音茶文化系统被联合国认定为全球重要农业文化遗产。11月29日,在包含铁观音制作技艺的“中国传统制茶技艺及其相关习俗”被列入联合国教科文组织人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录。传承了300多年的铁观音,如今还在继续发挥属于它的活力,护佑着所有安溪人民,如今安溪铁观音也已成长为安溪的民生产业和富民产业。 魏月德在进行制作工艺中的摇青步骤(受访者供图) “在我们安溪全县茶园面积有60万亩,年产量6.2万吨,涉茶总产值250亿元。安溪茶叶出口日本、东南亚、欧盟等63个国家和地区。很多茶农因茶脱贫,因茶致富。农民纯收入的50%以上来自于茶产业。在我们安溪,茶承载了百万茶乡人的富裕之梦。”今年59岁的魏月德已经与茶打了44年交道了。 从刚开始接触茶时的不喜欢到喜欢到热爱,再到现在肩负传承的使命,魏月德很是感慨。2008年,魏月德被评为国家级非物质文化遗产乌龙茶制作技艺铁观音制作技艺代表性传承人。他也开始把越来越多的精力用在传播铁观音制作技艺和文化上。 魏月德在进行制作工艺中的凉青步骤(受访者供图) “我的一生,只做一件事情,就是铁观音。”为了做好这件事,魏月德用了15年的时间编制出版了《铁观音秘笈》。“我请县文史馆的一个专家帮忙执笔,我口述,他来写。我把祖辈留下来的技艺,和自己半辈子摸索出来的经验,都写到了这本书里。”魏月德用了15年的时间编制出版了《铁观音秘笈》。 除此以外,他还出版《铁观音的前世今生》《魏荫与铁观音》和《魏荫铁观音探源》等著作,为安溪铁观音制作技艺的传承与研究作了不懈努力。 “我不希望铁观音技艺只藏在一个家族的‘秘笈’里,它应该传播向全世界。物质是需要用文字去进行保留的,一个人的保存是会失传的。一个好的东西,要让大家能够分享,能够保存。”魏月德说。对学茶、做茶、爱茶的人,魏月德一向来者不拒,几十年来,徒弟已有数百个,学有所成出师者数名。 魏月德说:“我永远都是一名安溪铁观音茶文化推广的志愿者。只要学茶的人还在,铁观音传统制作技艺的传承就不会中断。”如今,那颗300年的母树依然枝繁叶茂,铁观音茶树也早已遍布全国各地,更从中国走向了世界……(岳沛 靳铃涵) (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |