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.
岸田会见北约秘书长,还告诉对方日本计划设常驻北约代表团****** 【环球网报道】据日本《产经新闻》报道,访问日本的北约秘书长斯托尔滕贝格1月31日视察了位于埼玉县的航空自卫队入间基地,在讲话时感谢日本对乌克兰的援助。 据报道,在约1小时的时间里,斯托尔滕贝格观看了C-2运输机、F-15J战斗机、“爱国者”-3防空导弹系统等装备,听取了自卫队员的解说。在视察过程中,斯托尔滕贝格还坐进了F-2战斗机的驾驶舱。F-2战斗机由日美联合研制,是航空自卫队现役主力机型之一。 据朝日电视台报道,斯托尔滕贝格在讲话时向自卫队员表示,C-2运输机“在支援乌克兰方面扮演了极为重要的角色。感谢日本的支援” 。C-2运输机输送了防弹背心等日本援乌物资。他还称,北约与日本“有必要建立起牢固合作关系”。 斯托尔滕贝格于1月30日开始对日本的访问,1月31日,他还在首相官邸与日本首相岸田文雄举行了会谈。根据日本外务省发布的消息,岸田向斯托尔滕贝格传达,日本政府计划设立独立的常驻北约代表团,定期参加“北大西洋理事会”会议。岸田还向对方报告了去年12月敲定的三份日本新国家安保战略文件,斯托尔滕贝格对日本安全保障政策转向表示欢迎。 斯托尔滕贝格访问日韩引发外界关注。《美国新闻与世界报道》称,斯托尔滕贝格此次亚洲之行的目的是,在面临俄乌冲突以及“中国挑战”日益严峻的情况下加强北约与亚洲盟友和伙伴的关系。报道称,他此前还声称,尽管北约的焦点仍是欧洲,但“我们需要应对全球威胁和挑战,包括来自中国的挑战,应对的方式就是与该地区的伙伴进行更密切的合作”。法新社称,斯托尔滕贝格1月30日上午就在首尔一家研究所发表演讲时大谈“中国挑战”。 对于北约秘书长斯托尔滕贝格大谈“中国挑战”,中国外交部发言人毛宁1月30日在记者会上回应称,中国是世界各国的合作伙伴,我们也不威胁任何国家的利益。毛宁表示,北约应该放弃冷战思维、阵营对抗的理念,为欧洲和世界安全稳定多做一些有利的事。我们希望地区国家坚守亚太合作正道,为维护和促进世界和平稳定与发展繁荣发挥建设性作用。 中国社科院美国问题专家吕祥1月30日接受《环球时报》记者采访时表示,北约是美国领导的军事组织,实际代表的是美国的利益。斯托尔滕贝格的言行清楚地表明,他此次出访日韩是为了帮助美国推动所谓“印太战略”的执行。 (来源:环球网) (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |