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.
中国烹饪协会:元旦餐饮市场恢复向好 春节消费值得期待******
中新网1月4日电(中新财经记者 宋宇晟)2023年元旦期间,各地餐饮市场回暖,“烟火气”升腾。中国烹饪协会3日发布文章称,元旦餐饮市场恢复向好,春节消费依然值得期待。
1月2日,众多市民在北京荟聚中心逛街购物。元旦假期,北京各商场人流回升,节日氛围浓厚。 中新社记者 赵隽 摄其中数据显示,假期间北京餐饮企业客流明显回升。元旦当日,庆丰包子铺北海店同比去年增加48.3%,华天二友居亦庄店同比去年增加35%,同和居什刹海店同比去年增加26.6%,华天延吉餐厅西四店、香妃烤鸡新奥店的营收也比去年有较大幅度的增长。北京众多餐饮企业也纷纷推出节庆促销活动。
此外,各地政府为提振消费信心、激发消费活力,通过发放消费券等形式助力居民消费。陕西、江苏等地启动元旦餐饮促消费活动;海口市联合饿了么平台投放350万元外卖消费券;广州市餐饮类消费券总金额达3000万元。业内专家表示消费券的发放有利于促进居民消费,激活消费场景,支持餐饮业回归常态。
图为元旦假期,南昌万象城人气爆棚。 江西省商务厅供图1月2日,美团元旦消费数据显示,餐饮方面,假期前两日,全国堂食和线上交易额较上周增长超1倍,其中,江苏、浙江交易额增长超2.3倍,堂食消费恢复旺盛。
元旦小长假,线下线上消费需求同步增长,为餐饮行业注入复苏动力。大众点评必吃榜的“新年”“元旦”“跨年”主题菜品销量周环比增长6.4倍。呷哺集团旗下呷哺呷哺、湊湊火锅、欢乐烧肉趁烧等品牌,共计千余家餐厅客流增长超预期,数据显示,北京、河北、天津市场较疫情放开前同店增长320%、500%、300%以上,总体恢复到疫情前近8.5成。
线上外卖数据显示,“新年”等关键词搜索量相较节前上涨了4倍以上。从地域上看,北京荣登新年外卖订单销量榜首,其次是广州、上海、苏州、成都。从品类上看,火锅、烧烤、小龙虾、甜点饮品成为复苏最快的品类,火锅订单环比节前增长90%,烧烤订单环比增长30%。火锅也成为消费者跨年餐的最爱。
元旦期间,随着疫情防控措施不断优化,多地放宽跨省流动限制,带动消费者出行半径扩大。携程数据显示,元旦假期跨省吃住游占比已近六成,较中秋小长假稳步提升,同比2022年元旦增长34%。
中国烹饪协会认为,随着各类扩大需求的政策举措落地显效,全国堂食、宴会、跨省旅游等活动逐渐恢复,节日的到来促使消费市场主体信心得到提振,经济发展活力重新释放,为即将到来的春节餐饮市场创造了良好的开端。(完)
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