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.
民进党“傲慢式执政”愈发引起不满……******
在1月8日举行的台北市第三选区民意代表补选中,民进党籍参选人再次落选。
自2022年“九合一”选举以来,民进党受“论文门”“黑金政治”等一系列负面事件影响,接连在几场选举中失败,展现颓势。令台湾民众失望的是,该党对败选的所谓“检讨”浮于表面,“傲慢式执政”依旧,也愈加引起岛内舆论的不满。
傲慢,来自上行下效
有批评指出,民进党的执政傲慢遍及全台。
近日,新竹棒球场被揭露有偷工减料重大嫌疑,这个耗资近12亿元新台币重建的棒球场被民进党籍原新竹市长林智坚视为重要政绩。他曾宣称“高度参与,也都经常到工地巡查”,如今面对场地问题已导致4名球员受伤,林智坚却要求新市长解决问题。如果往回看,人们发现林智坚也未对牵涉本人、已有定论的论文抄袭事件作道歉。
新竹棒球场土壤中挖出砖头、电线等物品引起轩然大波(中时资料图)无独有偶,2022年12月,中国国民党籍民意代表李贵敏在台立法机构质询台当局官员花敬群时,花敬群直指李贵敏的问题抽象、无法回答而径直走下备询台,此举动令各界大跌眼镜,这名官员亦广受各界批评。
“上梁不正下梁歪”,有台湾时事评论员表示,民进党当局官员对民生的漠视、对民意代表的不尊重,正是源于台行政部门负责人苏贞昌。据台媒报道,苏贞昌不止一次在立法机构与民意代表公开“呛声”:去年11月11日,苏贞昌与国民党籍民意代表洪孟楷互呛,苏贞昌直接“问候洪孟楷的妈妈”;前年10月12日,苏贞昌被问及防务问题,对国民党籍民意代表郑丽文呛声“袂见笑”(方言:不知羞耻),也令舆论哗然……
台行政部门负责人苏贞昌(中时报系资料图)傲慢的代价,守住基本盘成问题
当前,台湾社会一股“下架民进党”的氛围持续凸显。一份民意调查显示,仅有31%的民众认同民进党,数据呈现大幅下滑态势。
“九合一”选举大败后,民进党启动所谓党内检讨机制,但被认为沦为形式,也未提出败选“主因”。在随后举行的嘉义市长选举中,民进党再次惨败,有熟悉当地情况的绿营人士坦言,民进党连基本盘都没守住。
1月8日台北市举行一场民意代表补选,民进党再次败选,这已是民进党的“三连败”。有新闻报道预测,“不到两个月后的南投县民意代表选举,几乎也可预期民进党会输。”
傲慢依旧,听不到民众声音
“除了民进党当局行政部门的目中无人,民进党声望持续低落,原因是一党独大的傲慢。”联合新闻网一篇文章直击民进党要害。
也有评论指出,民进党执政傲慢令人无法忍受。
近年来,民进党在立法机构强推各种法案、一味护航“高端”疫苗并拒绝“复必泰”疫苗入岛、林智坚对论文抄袭和棒球场案不知反省、民进党当局官员面对质询时颐指气使,台湾民众对民进党当局的“一手遮天”产生厌恶,在这样的氛围下,民进党一路选输不令人意外。
曾经被视为民进党“票仓”的年轻人也对民进党当局失去信任。“把一个更好的台湾交到下一个世代手上”是民进党上台之际对年轻人许下的“承诺”,如今几乎全面落空。
“因为权力的傲慢,所以不需要沟通、也不能沟通。”在评论民进党的做法时,一位台湾媒体人表示。
“谦卑、谦卑、再谦卑”终究只是口号,民进党“傲慢式执政”形成无视民意的惯性,让岛内民众愈发失望。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |