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.
【浙江龙泉“青马学习班”系列调研(二)】探索从“飘在天边”到“在我身边”的学习方法******
理论学习最忌“虚浮气”。为了提升学习成效,龙泉“青马学习班”在创新学习方法上下足功夫,让广大学员能够“学下去”“深下去”“不打烊”“见行动”。
三个课堂:立体式创新“怎么学”
学员们都说,“‘青马学习班’的课堂有特色”。对此,剑池街道干部周昌勇学员感触颇深。2022年11月26日,“我为文旅产业发展献一策”主题活动开课。周昌勇和学习班的同学们并没有第一时间前往教室,而是先后实地调研宝剑小镇、城市文化客厅、西街街道三江口等地,与文旅产业发展的一线实践“撞了个满怀”。
目前,学习班三大课堂之一的“身边课堂”, 将学习阵地搬到实践现场,已开展走进田间地头看乡村振兴、走进企业车间看产业发展、走进项目现场看城市建设、走进文旅古迹看业态运营等系列学习活动,以直面问题的鲜活形式提升教学针对性和实效性。
“我为文旅产业发展献一策”主题活动开课
同时,“青马学习班”还破题“线上课堂”。学习班在微信公众号、短视频等平台组建“青马之声”等一系列线上“微课堂”。周昌勇在线下学习之余,就通过这些线上课堂巩固、拓展知识,将学习阵地由“一时一地”拓展为“随时随地”。
除了在实践中感悟、在线上巩固,专家学者、一线权威人士的“点拨”也是学习不可缺少的一环,这就是“青马学习班”精心打造的“特色课堂”。在实地调研之后,学员们将与研究机构的专家学者,市委市政府相关领导、相关领域先进工作者“面对面”。他们结合学员们的参观体验,为学员传经送宝。在这个过程中,龙泉形成了“部门解惑、书记点评”的特色学习模式,相关部门负责人全程参与、市委书记到场点评。
周昌勇说:“以前我只关注自己的‘一亩三分地’, ‘三个课堂’拓宽了视野,提升了格局,我现在不仅对全市的情况有了系统了解,更加深了对党的二十大、浙江省第十五次党代会等重要精神的理解。”
三场交流:学以致用见实效
学习,是为了致用。“青马学习班”从一开始,就树立了“真学习、真思考、真效果”的鲜明导向,通过开展读书分享沙龙、调研成果汇报、项目谋划路演三场交流活动,引导学员互看互学、互比互赛,在思想碰撞、交流分享中明理增信。
学员进行分享
“我的本职工作是在经济与财务方面,学习班让我有了一个将自身特长与龙泉发展结合的机会。”学员毛剑斌在考察中对“三农”工作有了很深体悟,通过与其他同学的分享交流,逐步完善自己的想法,最终形成《将“新意”贯彻“三农”——我对“三农”工作的建议》,对龙泉市如何培育新农民、打造新农村、发展新产业提出了系统的建议。
此外,龙泉还立足自身剑瓷文化特色,开设剑瓷匠人班,紧扣宝剑与青瓷产业发展,对学员进行系统性培训,鼓励学员们积极交流探索将古法与现代工艺融合的发展路径,并形成报告,助力剑瓷产业创新发展。
截至2022年12月中旬,“青马学习班”已形成各个领域的重点调研报告86份,为龙泉各类特色产业发展贡献力量。
很多学员说,参加学习班之前,他们都觉得理论就像“飘在天上的云彩”,可望不可即,通过“三个课堂”“三场交流”的学习,才真正感觉到,理论就在大家的身边,只要大家愿意“蹦一蹦”,理论的果实就一定摘得着。
事实上,“青马学习班”搭建了龙泉青年交流发展、共同进步的平台。在这里,学员带着求知的热情和为民的情怀前进,正在迸发出锐不可当的“青春力量”。
(光明网记者 陈建栋、李澍)
相关阅读
【浙江龙泉“青马学习班”系列调研(一)】搭建一个“出真知”的学习体系
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)