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.
美联储宣布加息25个基点 预计还将持续上调利率****** 中新社纽约2月1日电 (记者 王帆)美国联邦储备委员会2月1日宣布,将联邦基金利率目标区间上调25个基点到4.5%至4.75%的水平,符合市场普遍预期。这是美联储自去年3月以来连续第八次加息。 美联储在为期两天的货币政策例会后发表声明。此次声明将“通胀仍然居高不下”的措辞改为“通胀有所缓和,但仍处于高位”,同时重申高度关注通胀风险,预计还将继续上调利率。 图为美联储主席鲍威尔当天出席记者会。 中新社记者 陈孟统 摄声明称,最近的指标表明美国的支出和生产温和增长,就业增长势头强劲,失业率保持在低位。通胀有所缓和,但仍处于高位。俄乌局势加剧了全球不确定性。美联储高度关注通胀风险。为支持实现充分就业和2%较长期通胀率的目标,美联储决定将联邦基金利率目标区间上调到4.5%至4.75%之间,并预期这种持续上调将是合适的,以形成足够限制性的货币政策立场。此外,美联储将继续缩减资产负债表规模。 美联储主席鲍威尔在货币政策例会后的记者会上表示,过去三个月的通胀数据显示价格增长速度有所放缓,不过,我们仍需要更多证据来确定通胀处于持续下降的轨道上。历史强烈警告不要过早放松政策。美联储关注的重点不是短期走势,而是更广泛金融状况的持续变化。目前的判断是,美联储还没有采取足够严格的政策立场,所以说预计持续加息将是合适的。在今年3月的货币政策例会上,美联储将更新对终端利率的评估。 图为美联储主席鲍威尔当天出席记者会。 中新社记者 陈孟统 摄美国股市三大指数在鲍威尔讲话后由跌转涨。截至当天收盘,道琼斯工业平均指数上涨6.92点,或0.02%,收于34092.96点;纳斯达克综合指数上涨231.77点,或2%,收于11816.32点;标准普尔500种股票指数上涨42.61点,或1.05%,收于4119.21点。 《华尔街日报》说,此次加息标志着美联储连续第二次放慢加息步伐。鲍威尔发表讲话后,投资者预计若通胀数据继续改善,美联储此前预测的5%至5.25%之间的终端利率有可能面临下调。彭博社援引分析人士观点称,美联储官员已经开始说“两边话”,他们在暗示进一步加息是合适的同时,也承认将在未来的政策决定中考虑收紧的累积量。市场对利率在将升至多高以及维持高位多久方面已偏向鸽派。(完)
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