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.
甘肃省军地联合出台文件激励大学生参军入伍******url:https://m.gmw.cn/2023-01/06/content_1303246407.htm,id:1303246407
甘肃省
军地联合出台文件激励大学生参军入伍
优惠政策成龙配套优质兵员络绎不绝
“县里免费为我和你阿妈做了体检,我们身体都好。你莫担心我们,在部队好好干工作,不要辜负党和政府的关心……”元旦前夕,在西藏林芝某部服役的甘肃迭部籍藏族战士才旦顿珠接到父亲打来的电话,得知父母身体都好,一直悬着的心终于落了地。
“才旦顿珠只是众多陇原青年及其家庭享受征兵政策红利的一个缩影。”甘肃省军区动员局局长史远峰介绍,2022年9月下旬,甘肃省政府和省军区联合出台《甘肃省激励大学生等参军入伍的政策措施》,激发适龄青年应征入伍热情,持续为部队征集输送优质兵员。
为保证制订的优惠政策措施既贴合省情民意又实在管用,甘肃省军地多个部门联合协作、密切配合。甘肃省军区动员局先后组织4个批次联合调研组,深入市县、基层一线调研摸底。在摸清适龄青年现实需求和关心关切问题的基础上,他们协调宣传、公安、财政、教育、人社、卫生健康、退役军人事务等11个省征兵工作领导小组成员单位召开6次研讨会,进行试点论证,修改调整政策措施。
全省入伍普通本科毕业生退役后,两年内获得所在高校硕士研究生推免资格;高职(专科)毕业生及在校生退役后,在完成学业的前提下可免试入读普通本科,高校参军入伍毕业生均享受高校优秀毕业生单列指标;入伍服役满5年的退役大学毕业生与服务基层项目人员共享10%到15%的公务员定向招录计划;全省基层专武干部招录计划安排40%的名额定向招录退役大学毕业生士兵;服义务兵役期间,参照当地企事业单位职工体检标准,每年为其父母安排一次免费体检……甘肃省军地联合出台的每条优惠措施,都直击应征对象复学、入职、返岗、就业以及家庭实际困难等现实问题。
王伟从兰州理工大学毕业后参军入伍,退役返乡后面临就业问题。前不久,他参加当地退役军人事务部门组织的退役老兵培训时,了解到甘肃省国有企业、公务员队伍、专武干部面向退役大学毕业生士兵定向招聘政策后,脸上的愁容终于消散,对自己的职业前景充满信心。记者从有关部门了解到,自《甘肃省激励大学生等参军入伍的政策措施》颁布施行以来,仅西北师范大学就有360余名毕业生向该校征兵工作站咨询2023年上半年参军入伍政策,120名毕业班学生填报了参军入伍意向书。
在甘肃省征兵办,记者从会议大厅“2022年度全省征兵工作数据评估示意图”电子屏上看到,数据曲线箭头显示2022年全省征兵“五率”再创新高。省征兵办领导信心满满地说:“2023年征兵工作已经启动,我们力争新年度征兵工作取得新突破,为实现中国梦强军梦添砖加瓦。”(■李小刚贾保华 本报记者 郭干干)
(中国国防报 2023年1月6日第二版)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)