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.
“让民间文物修复技艺传承延续”******
“让民间文物修复技艺传承延续”
本报记者 李 强
在展会现场,观众体验如何用传统技艺加工石材。
本报记者 李 强摄
铁匠将烧红的铁锭捶打成铁艺装饰;泥瓦匠用瓦刀和灰泥“修复”古老的建筑墙体;石匠对着一块大理石左右敲琢,一根罗马柱头已近完成;木匠脚踩皮带轮带动磨具,将一块方木打磨成国际象棋的棋子……这是记者不久前在德国莱比锡会展中心举办的莱比锡文物保护修复和改造博览会上看到的景象。
展会上,除了工匠展示技艺,还包括文物修复设备、建筑原材料、工具模具、考古探测仪器等展品。参观者有机会学习古迹保护、修复和旧建筑改造技艺,体验文物修复工艺,还能在这一行业中寻找商机。
在一个名为“风格屋顶”的展位前,参观者手持特制的尖头锤,将一块块黑色的页岩片敲成各种造型。另一边,身着传统服饰的专业工匠,熟练地将同样的页岩片敲击成尺寸一致的圆形瓦片,镶嵌在屋顶模型上。
“风格屋顶”工作室是一个由德国屋顶工匠成立的组织,传承着数百年前的手工技艺。时至今日,页岩石板瓦依然是德国建筑的主要建材。“风格屋顶”工作室不仅承揽了许多文物建筑的修缮工作,还承接民间住宅改造,通过市场化运作实现盈利。
“‘热爱手工艺’是我们的座右铭。”“风格屋顶”工作室负责人米尔科·菲舍尔介绍,他和他的屋顶工匠团队在工作之余,运营着数万粉丝关注的社交媒体账号,用视频和图片记录“风格屋顶”工匠们日常工作的场景。城堡、市政厅、当地传统民居的屋顶上,都有他们忙碌的身影。工匠们特别自豪并热衷于展示自己的手艺:一块页岩片,一把尖头锤,不到一分钟就能敲出一个规整对称的心形图案。
在展会现场,记者不时看到成群结队前来观摩学习的学生。他们大都是职业学校的学生,所学专业涉及文物修复、建筑、园林、木工、瓦工等。安妮·克莱恩鲍尔是一名职业学校学生,她对记者说:“在这里,我可以了解一些实用的操作流程,有任何问题都可以跟工匠交流并建立联系,这也为我未来就业提供了机会,非常有帮助。”
“修复者在保护建筑遗产方面发挥着关键作用。特别是在修复历史建筑时,他们的特殊专业知识和技能至关重要。”莱比锡展览公司相关负责人费利克斯·维索茨基表示,“整个文物修复行业迫切期待更多年轻人加入,让民间文物修复技艺传承延续。”
(本报德国莱比锡电)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)