中新网评:美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾******
中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后,美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕,众议院共和党领袖凯文·麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录,将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。
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.
福建:项目建设“加速跑” 全力以赴稳投资******url:https://m.gmw.cn/2023-01/06/content_1303246589.htm,id:1303246589
新华社福州1月6日电(记者董建国)扩大有效投资,是稳增长的重要抓手。新年伊始,制造业大省福建一批产业项目施工建设正忙,为稳投资开好局。
图为福鼎锂离子电池生产基地里,工人在电池生产线上操作。(宁德时代供图)
新能源产业是福建新兴的优势产业。连日来,在宁德时代新能源科技股份有限公司位于福鼎市的锂离子电池生产基地,厂房林立,现场桩基耸立,吊臂挥舞,火热的施工场景一览无余。“项目工期紧、任务重,我们一直抢抓建设‘不打烊’。”现场的建设工程项目经理吴立雄说。
“目前基地的前三号厂房均已实现投产,四号厂房已完成主体建设,正进行内部装修施工。”福鼎生产基地筹建项目经理陈君通说,整个生产基地整体规划5个电芯厂房、4个模组厂房,规划产能120吉瓦时(GWh),达产后产值超千亿元。
“该项目的落地建设,将有效促进当地锂电新能源产业链的发展。”福鼎工业园区党委书记林天禄说,自项目启动以来,当地全力抢时间、拼速度,多部门采取并联式推进,推动项目实现“拿地即开工”。
龙头引领,产业聚链。近年来,依托宁德时代等龙头企业,宁德市通过招商累计引进80多个产业链项目。
2023年初,福州集中开工177项重大项目,总投资983亿元。其中产业项目104项,总投资596亿元。
在位于福州长乐区福米产业园里的恒美偏光片智造工厂,一件件产品包装成箱等待发货。在一旁的工地上,十几名工人正在加紧施工建设。
“虽然受到疫情影响,但我们生产建设不停步。工厂总投资42亿元,规划建设两条生产线,第一条生产线已开始正式投产,第二条生产线正在建设,预计今年二季度正式投产。随着放量生产,今年产值将超预期。”恒美光电股份有限公司董事会秘书杨学锋对企业产能跨越升级信心满满。
据杨学锋介绍,偏光片被誉为光学芯片。公司作为上游企业,补上了当地新型显示产业链条的一块重要拼图,完善了产业供应链。
龙岩上杭县天甫年产36万吨半导体级电子材料生产项目、福州福清市中景石化聚丙烯热塑性弹性体项目、福清核电站、福州长乐外海海上风电场C区项目……一批影响力较大的重点项目加速推进,成为当地经济稳增长的强大后劲。
项目落地添底气,投资增长稳信心。福建发改委相关负责人说,当前,福建省不断加大项目协调力度,持续推动项目建设,对稳投资形成良好支撑。通过抓紧推进一批重大项目,不断补链条、强链条,为推动经济良好开局注入动力。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)