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.
新时代新征程要加强国际传播能力建设******
本期光明网理论学术动态导读关注国际传播、县域发展、长江经济带高质量发展、文化数字化等话题,欢迎网友踊跃参与讨论。
【程曼丽、赵丽芳:新时代新征程要加强国际传播能力建设】
中央民族大学新闻与传播学院教授程曼丽、赵丽芳认为,新时代新征程,要加强国际传播能力建设,不断增强中华文明传播力影响力,以切实的举措推动中华文化更好走向世界。加强国际传播能力建设,要围绕中华文化深耕细作,把中华优秀传统文化的精神标识和中华优秀传统文化中具有当代价值、世界意义的文化精髓提炼出来、展示出来,坚定文化自信,坚守中华文化立场,积极推动中华文化走出去;要构建具有鲜明中国特色的战略传播体系,打造具有国际影响力的媒体集群,重视发挥高层次专家在重要国际会议论坛、外国主流媒体等平台和渠道发声的作用,重视发挥海外华人、海外中资企业、国际友人等在国际传播中的作用;要用好国际化传播平台,积极运用5G等信息技术开展新闻传播实践,加快移动端传播平台建设,创新短视频、微视频、云直播、语音播报等多元信息发布形式,研究掌握传播平台的发展趋势,打造更多受众喜闻乐见的沉浸式、互动式新闻产品。
摘编自《人民日报》
【盛誉、黄凯南:在乡村振兴背景下落实县域发展的重点任务】
北京大学现代农学院教授盛誉、山东大学县域发展研究院院长黄凯南指出,当前在乡村振兴背景下,县域发展面临着对农业的关注度不足、农业内部分工不足导致农民增收难、缺乏将农业现代化与现代生物、数字技术有机结合的意识和能力等方面的挑战。要在乡村振兴战略的视角下推动县域经济发展,一方面要保障口粮绝对安全与主要农产品自主可控,建立支持农业生产、适应农村转型和兼顾城乡统筹发展的发展战略,以工促农带动农食系统逐步完成高效高质绿色方向转型。另一方面要以县城为核心构建多维度的市场机制,逐步缩小县乡和县城之间的收入和社会福利差异,提升资本和劳动在城乡间和农业内部的配置效率,实现全民共同富裕。同时要创建绿色农业发展方案,重视自然资源经济价值评估和生态补偿机制建设,提高绿色生态农业、可再生农业等在县域农业发展中的比重,加强农业数字化转型建设,提升县域发展的可持续性。
摘编自《光明日报》
【范恒山:区域协同联动推动长江经济带高质量发展】
北京市习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特约研究员范恒山指出,长江经济带作为流域经济是一个整体,需立足于区域协同联动,推动长江经济带高质量发展。具体而言,一是要加强产业规划对接,建立产业规划统筹协调机制,强化区域产业规划沟通协商,突出各地发展规划的针对性和独特性。二是要进一步清理和破除妨碍资源要素顺畅流动、有效配置的规定与做法,打破地方保护和市场分割,进一步优化营商环境,推动创新资源要素顺畅流动。三是要进一步完善省际间产业转移统筹协调机制,因地制宜创新合作模式和管理方式,促进区域间产业转移与承接。四是长江经济带各地区应积极整合创新资源,立足于比较优势,通过强化分工和密切协作推动传统产业改造升级,打造一批战略性新兴产业基地,延伸和完善产业链布局。五是要打破数字壁垒,推进区域信息枢纽港建设,推动数据赋能全产业链协同转型,建设一体化数字支撑平台。
摘编自《经济日报》
【解学芳、臧志彭:文化数字化是推动文化产业高质量发展的内在要求】
同济大学人文学院长聘特聘教授解学芳、华东政法大学传播学院“经天学者”特聘教授臧志彭指出,文化数字化是建设文化强国的重要抓手,是推动文化产业高质量发展的内在要求。实施国家文化数字化战略是推动公共文化数字化、文化产业数字化与文化消费数字化的系统工程,需要通过完善三大路径深化文化与科技的融合。首先要夯实文化数字化新基建,推动文化资源全域整合与数字化转化,加快建设可信数据流通环境,培育数据要素市场,打造可体验、可沉浸、可感触的活态文化产品,让文化产品更加多元。其次要统筹文化大数据平台,着力推进公共文化资源全域化、全形态的数字化整合,加快公共文化数字资源数据库建设,增强公共文化数字内容展示与供给能力,让公共文化服务更加普惠。再者要发展文化数字化消费场景,丰富“上云用数赋智”等要素在文化消费场景的应用,助推智媒体、云游戏、智慧文旅等新业态,以及“大屏”和“小屏”无缝切换等新消费场景的高质量发展,加快培育用户的数字文化消费习惯,让文化体验更加丰富。
摘编自《中国社会科学报》
(光明网记者徐倩阳整理)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)