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.
俄军换将后,基辅连续3天拉响防空警报****** 中新网北京10月13日电(张乃月) 近日,乌克兰多地遭到导弹攻击,首都基辅连续三天响起防空警报。普京表示,俄军根据国防部的提议和总参谋部的计划,对乌实施了密集打击。 多方指出,这些行动背后,凸显出了一个人的风格——几天前刚刚出任俄罗斯特别军事行动总指挥的苏罗维金大将。 有着“末日将军”之称的苏罗维金为何在乌宣布“大反攻”、俄进行局部动员之际被任用?他有哪些与众不同之处? 此时发起猛攻,俄军意欲为何? 10月10日以来,乌克兰持续遭到导弹攻击,防空警报不断。多个地区的基础设施遭到打击,首都基辅开始轮流停电。 根据乌克兰方面的说法,10日俄军共发射了83枚导弹,其中45枚被乌防空部队拦截;11日,乌克兰总统泽连斯基称,当日上午俄军再次发射28枚导弹,其中20枚被乌军击落,此外乌军还击落不少无人机。 俄罗斯总统普京10日表示,俄军当天对使用远程高精度空基、海基及陆基武器对乌克兰能源、军事指挥和通信设施目标进行了密集打击。 资料图:当地时间2022年10月10日,乌克兰首都基辅市中心爆炸导致汽车燃烧。俄军为何在这个时候发起猛攻? 一方面,克里米亚大桥爆炸事件后,普京在联邦安全会议上向乌克兰发出警告,如果继续在俄领土实施“恐袭”,俄将作出“与俄受威胁水平相当的”强硬回应。 另一方面,英国《金融时报》分析称,普京在讲话中提到的打击,是“根据俄国防部的提议并根据俄总参谋部的计划”实施的,这番言论,自然指向了不久前刚被任命为特别军事行动总指挥的“强硬派将军”谢尔盖•苏罗维金。 乌克兰情报部门官员也表示,近期对乌克兰各地的打击“是他(苏罗维金)的风格”,这位新将打算展示出一些“立竿见影的效果”。 资料图:普京与苏罗维金(左)。普京祝他生日快乐,“末日将军”是谁? 英国媒体称,苏罗维金的绰号是“猛将”和“大决战将军”,俄罗斯媒体则叫他“末日将军”。这位10月11日刚过完56岁生日的将军,还接到了俄罗斯总统普京的生日贺电。 据俄新社介绍,这位俄罗斯陆军将军出生在新西伯利亚,曾以优异的成绩毕业于伏龙芝军事学院和俄联邦武装力量总参谋部军事学院。 苏罗维金1983年参军,俄罗斯卫星网称其为“一位真正的俄罗斯军官”。车臣领导人卡德罗夫也盛赞苏罗维金,称“从未怀疑过他的果断和专业精神”。正是由于能够做出艰难和非常规决定,他被称作“末日将军”。 他的履历扎实,指挥过连、营、团、师,历任俄第20集团军司令,东部军区司令。2017年,被任命为俄空天军总司令。2021年获得大将军衔。 苏罗维金拥有丰富的军事经验,曾负伤三次,被授予圣乔治勋章、勇气勋章和“军事功勋”多项荣誉。他参加过第二次车臣战争,也曾在叙利亚指挥俄罗斯军队。此前,苏罗维金在特别军事行动中指挥俄军“南方”部队集群。 《纽约时报》称苏罗维金是一位“以冷酷著称,且曾在复杂战争中长期作战的将军”。美国的国防研究机构则将形容他“是一个相当无情的指挥官”“脾气暴躁”。乌克兰国防部情报局局长布达诺夫曾评价他“知道如何与轰炸机和导弹打交道”。 2017年6月9日,苏罗维金在国防部会议上发言。这位既“冷酷”又“经验丰富”的大将为何能在这个时候成为俄罗斯特别军事行动的总指挥? BBC评论称,由于近期乌军在东部和南部地区展开反攻,俄军补给线克里米亚大桥又发生爆炸,俄总统普京面临内部压力,苏罗维金和空袭行动在一定程度上是“普京对鹰派的回应”。 根据《每日邮报》和德国《FOCUS》杂志的分析,目前俄武装部队存在陆、海、空不协调的问题,苏罗维金虽然是陆军将军,但也曾指挥过空军。这或许是普京选择任用他的另一个原因。
|