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.
丰田中国董长征谈“造车新势力”竞争:以开放姿态相互学习****** 【跨国企业在中国】 编者按: 走进在华跨国企业,听外企老总谈“中国式现代化机遇”、释“经济全球化之道”。 中新网12月15日电题:丰田中国董长征谈“造车新势力”竞争:以开放姿态相互学习 中新财经 葛成 “目前汽车行业正在经历百年一遇的大变革,电动化、智能化也在迅猛发展。我们将以更加开放的姿态,相互学习,力求能为消费者提供更多的选择。”丰田汽车(中国)投资有限公司高级执行副总经理董长征在接受中新财经专访时说。 董长征表示,中国拥有全球竞争最激烈、发展最快速的汽车市场。未来,丰田会在电动化、智能化方面继续发力,与合作伙伴一起,为消费者提供满意的产品。 丰田实现了与中国市场的共同成长 作为日本最大的汽车公司,丰田创立于1933年,早期以制造纺织机械为主,随后快速增加制造汽车业务。 在公司创立的三十多年后,丰田首次进入中国市场。据董长征介绍,丰田在中国的事业活动可追溯至1964年对华出口首批轿车,以及2000年在中国首次生产挂有丰田标志的汽车。 在中国开放的过程中,丰田在华发展进入快车道。2003年,丰田与一汽成立合资公司,并于2004年与广汽成立合资公司。经过近20年的发展,两家公司都在中国市场取得了出众的业绩。 董长征说,借助合作,丰田实现了与中国市场的共同成长。2021年,丰田在华新车销量总计194.4万辆,在全球占比约18%。2022年,丰田在世界500强中排名第13,在全球汽车制造商中位居第2。 面对造车新势力竞争,以更加开放姿态相互学习 目前,汽车行业正在经历百年一遇的大变革。在电动化、智能化的浪潮下,汽车不再以传统的工业产品的形态出现,逐渐融入了互联网、科技等新元素。 董长征表示,丰田也在进一步深化与中国合作伙伴的联合研发和创新合作。2015年,丰田首次在日本以外地区——中国开始HEV的现地研发;2019年,丰田开始联合中国合作伙伴一起成立了研发公司及销售公司,加快氢燃料电池技术在中国的商业化普及和发展。 董长征称,面对造车新势力的迅速发展,丰田将以更加开放的姿态,相互学习,力求能为消费者提供更多的选择。 “比如在电池方面,我们与宁德时代、比亚迪合作,共同开发更具吸引力的电动车产品,推进电动车的普及;在自动驾驶方面,我们加入了百度‘阿波罗计划’,同小马智行、Momenta合作,发挥各自优势,不断完善、发展自动驾驶技术,期待早日实用化。” 在华两家合作伙伴非竞争关系,而是相互补充 随着中国汽车市场逐步成熟,各细分市场不同品牌车型越来越多,不同级别车型间的空隙越来越小。 丰田在与一汽、广汽两家伙伴合作的过程中,难以避免地出现了产品同质化的现象。例如在紧凑级轿车这一级别中,就分别有卡罗拉、雷凌两款轴距相同,大小相似的产品出现。 在谈到与两家合作伙伴的关系时,董长征表示,丰田一直都致力于制造更好的汽车,满足消费者的不同需求。我们同中国合作伙伴一起,根据消费者的需求,提供相应的产品。二者并非竞争关系,而是相互补充的。 “当前,面对全球范围的芯片不足、原材料涨价等情况,丰田会全力克服困难。未来,丰田将继续以开放合作的姿态与中国伙伴一起,为中国更加美好的未来社会建设做出贡献。”董长征说。(完)
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