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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.
外国友人邂逅浙江渔村 在别样年俗中感知“中国年味”****** (新春走基层)外国友人邂逅浙江渔村 在别样年俗中感知“中国年味” 中新网宁波2月2日电(记者 林波)制作麻糍、采挖牡蛎、包宁波汤圆……2月2日，在中国过春节的外国友人走进浙江省宁波市奉化区莼湖街道章胡村，体验海边渔村风情，感知“中国年味”。 莼湖依山傍海、良田肥沃、物产丰富，也由此形成了独特的饮食文化。这种饮食文化有别于内陆地区，它讲究山珍、海味、田产融为一起，海鲜米豆腐就是其中的代表之一。  外国友人体验牡蛎采挖。 林波 摄据悉，海鲜米豆腐是奉化沿海地区一道独特的风味小吃，是春节家家必备的食品，为奉化乃至浙东所少有。 “非常鲜美。”今年30岁的李源(Nguyen Le)来自越南，是一名在中国学习的博士生，在体验完牡蛎采挖后，她把新鲜采收的牡蛎放进锅中，和米豆腐、肉丝、蛋丝等素材一起烹饪后，一碗热气腾腾的海鲜米豆腐就出锅了。 在李源看来，中国的年味从舌尖上就可以体验到，“麻糍的软糯、汤圆的香甜、海鲜的鲜美等，各种各样的味道组成了多元化的中国年味。” 咸齑黄鱼汤、笋干烤肉、贡品奉蚶……在章胡村文化礼堂，望着丰盛的菜肴，来自印度的Taiseer Hussain Nafea感受到了春节满满的仪式感，“春节汇聚了各种各样的美食，不仅人团圆，菜也‘团圆’。”  外国友人体验包汤圆。 林波 摄除了舌尖美食外，中国年味无疑也独具文化味。 “中国春节，家家户户都会挂红灯笼、贴‘福’字和窗花。”今年35岁的宝林(Paulina Kus Ariningsih)来自印尼，在她的记忆中，中国春节是热闹喜庆的，特别是春节期间，马路上也挂起了红灯笼，寓意着新年红红火火、福气满满。  外国友人体验年俗活动现场。 林波 摄将红色的竖条纸粘贴在灯笼的骨架上，再将光源放入其中……在宝林的手中，一个红色的灯笼雏形显现，“中国文化源远流长，了解中国春节，才能读懂中国文化。” “我的爷爷来自中国，我们家还保留着春节发红包的习俗。”来自印尼的婉徽(Karen Chow)今年18岁，她告诉记者，每一年的春节，长辈们都会给孩子发红包，“春节那一天家里人也会聚在一起，团圆是我对春节最初的认知。”  外国友人送春节祝福。 林波 摄事实上，从最初的穿唐装、吃汤圆、发红包，到现在的捣年糕、舞龙、舞狮，中国春节的年味和习俗正悄然在世界各地扩散、传播，“过春节”开始成为一种时尚和新的生活方式。 “我们举办这样的活动，希望加强与中外青年学子之间的联系和交流，在渔村的人情味中感受扑面而来的中国年味，感受元宵文化的独特魅力。”奉化团区委副书记袁静接受采访时如是表示。(完)
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