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.
喝AD钙奶长大的90后,会为AD钙牙膏买单吗?******
中新网1月13日电 (中新财经 左雨晴) AD钙奶曾是不少人童年时期的“快乐奶”,不过很少有人会想象,有一天会给自己的孩子用上AD钙牙膏,穿上印有AD钙奶图案的童装。
近日,饮料行业巨头娃哈哈推出了日化、童装等一系列跨界产品,其中不少引入了AD钙奶元素打出“情怀牌”。
娃哈哈卖童装和日化产品 消费者买账吗?
去年年底,娃哈哈童装旗舰店分别在淘宝和抖音上线,并上架了新年系列和春季新品,首批童装服饰范围涵盖外套、卫衣、毛衣、裤装等多个品类,价格在119-559元不等。
中新财经注意到,目前线上渠道的娃哈哈童装,其服装样式除加入了新春生肖“兔”元素外,还印有“AD钙奶”和“W1987”的标识,打出了“潮流怀旧”的情怀牌。
某电商平台的娃哈哈童装旗舰店。 截图自某电商平台。在罗永浩淘宝直播间推销、在抖音多次直播带货……娃哈哈童装在多个线上平台发力,那么近一个月以来,成交数据如何?记者查询发现,目前,其天猫旗舰店中商品月销量最高的不过数十件,有的商品的成交数量甚至为0,抖音爆款的销售量也未过百件。
而在童装之前,娃哈哈还上线了日化产品,包括儿童牙膏、成人牙膏和洗衣凝珠系列。但从销量来看,也不算亮眼。
早早布局 娃哈哈的跨界生意为何不顺?
无论是日化产品还是童装,娃哈哈都并非首次跨界“出征”。
1987年成立的娃哈哈,靠“娃哈哈儿童营养液”打响了品牌的第一枪,在饮料业站稳脚跟后,娃哈哈创始人宗庆后便迫不及待地开始描绘自己的“儿童王国”。
据媒体报道,2002年,宗庆后向多元化进军,他以打造“全国第一童装品牌”为目标,雄心勃勃地计划进入童装市场。彼时,娃哈哈与香港达利集团达成合作,并以线下加盟的方式铺开店面。
然而这次跨界的结果却是宗庆后“铩羽而归”,公开信息显示,2017年,“杭州娃哈哈童装有限公司”更名“杭州恒励饮料有限公司”;2021年,该公司彻底注销。
娃哈哈跨界化妆品同样遭遇了窘境。2018年,宗庆后之女宗馥莉出任娃哈哈集团品牌公关部部长,推出了一系列营销活动。两款营养快线限量眼影盘成为了娃哈哈迈向IP创新的第一步。
2018年,宗庆后亲自为营养快线限量眼影盘助阵。 截图自微博。尽管宗庆后转发了活动微博为眼影助阵,但在短暂的营销过后,当时娃哈哈的美妆路线也浅尝辄止。
遭遇“中年危机” 娃哈哈想要变“年轻”
开发了奶粉品牌,研发过智能机器人,开过商场……此前涉足其他产业的尝试都难说成功,娃哈哈为何仍未放弃跨界生意?
与所有老牌企业一样,娃哈哈在成立30多年后遭遇了“中年危机”。2021年,宗馥莉接替宗庆后掌舵,成为娃哈哈集团公司副董事长兼总经理,“年轻化”成为了娃哈哈寻求新增长点的必经之路。
娃哈哈推出的儿童牙膏。 截图自某电商平台。然而如今的饮料行业,已是风云变幻。在主营业务上,娃哈哈不敌农夫山泉,失去了瓶装水市场份额第一的位置;此外,面对层出不穷的网红品牌与爆款新品,娃哈哈始终未能再拿出像AD钙奶、营养快线那样的“超级大单品”。
与此前的跨界相比,如今娃哈哈在跨界营销上似乎更注重IP打造,例如频繁出现的“AD钙奶”元素。然而“AD钙奶”能否成为娃哈哈的王牌IP,像当年俘获90后欢心一样,俘获90后们的下一代,仍需要时间去验证。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |