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.
新意升级 《2023年元宵晚会》将播出******
中新网北京2月3日电 (记者 高凯)2月3日,中央广播电视总台《2023年元宵晚会》举行发布会,据介绍,晚会将呈现多项技术创新和节目创作亮点。
据介绍,此次元宵晚会实现电视及新媒体一体化制作,并通过总台全媒体平台分发传播;通过AR虚拟特效、XR虚实融合制作、立体视频和三维菁彩声等新技术应用,大幅度提升节目视音频沉浸式效果;演播大厅舞台大屏幕视频、灯光、升降舞台和现场扩声全面实现集中控制,大幅度提升舞美视觉及现场扩声效果和安全播出水平。
中央广播电视总台文艺节目中心负责人表示,元宵晚会坚持创新引领,经过精心设计和精细打磨,已完成了录制工作。晚会延续“欢乐吉祥、喜气洋洋”的总基调,突出开心信心、奋进拼搏的主旨,通过民歌、戏曲、艺术体操、歌曲、曲艺等多种艺术形式的节目,展现“花灿灯彩闹元宵”的传统佳节特色,传递繁茂锦绣的美好氛围和华灯璀璨的喜庆气象。
据介绍,元宵晚会以“花灯耀四海”为主线,北京灯彩、秦淮灯彩、硖石灯彩、潮州花灯等一系列入选国家级非物质文化遗产名录的中国传统民俗工艺将在晚会中亮相,与东西南北中多地灯会的实景拍摄相呼应,展现元宵佳节美丽中国的喜庆色彩。
晚会开场歌曲邀请今年春晚微电影《我和我的春晚》中感动了亿万观众的张建国扮演者金长勇,与现场演员共同合唱,在欢腾热烈的歌声中共迎癸卯兔年的第一个月圆之夜。由众多演奏家创新打造新国乐曲目《百凤朝阳》,奏出中华民族昂扬向上的精气神。全新演绎的《新花好月圆夜》,将河北竹板书和苏州评弹两种曲艺形式进行融合创作,表达出圆满和美的寓意。由中国人民解放军仪仗司礼大队奏唱的歌曲《强军有我》,以豪迈的激情、磅礴的气势,展现了中国军人的血性和担当,唱出了“请党放心,强军有我”的铿锵誓言……
据悉,2月5日20点档,中央广播电视总台《2023年元宵晚会》将在央视综合频道、综艺频道、中文国际频道、音乐频道等电视频道,音乐之声、经典音乐广播、文艺之声、大湾区之声、台海之声、华语环球广播、南海之声等广播频率,央视频、云听、央视网、央广网、国际在线等新媒体平台同步播出。全国约500个城市文化广场将通过“百城千屏”8K超高清公共大屏传播平台播出元宵晚会,“在广场看晚会闹元宵”将为城市文化活动提供新场景。央视频客户端还将采用“竖屏+三维菁彩声”“横屏+三维菁彩声”两种模式播出晚会节目。
央视网脸书平台CCTV中英文账号、优兔平台CCTV春晚频道将面向全球同步播出元宵晚会。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)