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.
粤港澳全运会竞赛规程出炉******
广州日报全媒体记者 白志标
2025年,第十五届全国运动会(十五运)将由广东省、香港特别行政区和澳门特别行政区共同举办。这是党的二十大后国内首个大型综合运动会,是全运会第一次来到香港和澳门两个特别行政区。日前,国家体育总局竞体司发布第十五届全运会竞赛规程总则,共设置34个大项,即33个奥运项目和1个武术项目。
项目设置对标奥运会
根据此次发布的十五运竞赛规程总则,在竞赛项目设置上对标了2024年巴黎奥运会,33个奥运项目中除了过去奥运会常设的体操、射击、游泳、赛艇、皮划艇、乒乓球、羽毛球、马术等项目外,还设有巴黎奥运会新增的霹雳舞、滑板、攀岩等新兴项目。而且,在竞赛项目设置中还特别说明,国家体育总局将根据2028年洛杉矶奥运会设项情况完善第十五届全国运动会竞赛项目。
作为国内规模最大、竞技水平最高的运动会,全运会从最初融合奥运和非奥项目的“全国体育大会”,逐渐过渡到设项对标奥运选拔竞技人才的重要平台。不过,过去两届全运会为了带动更多普通人群关注和参与体育运动,增设了大量的群体比赛项目,让全运会又返回到全国体育大会模式。
西安体育学院教授罗普磷表示,十五运竞赛项目设置和竞赛规程总则说明,全运会重新回到举办全运会的宗旨“就是服务我们国家的奥运战略,提升我国竞技体育综合实力和为国争光能力”。
新体能测试成为常态
在此次公布的十五运竞赛总规程竞赛办法中,明确强调报名运动员在全运会各项目资格赛前需进行体能测试。众所周知,体育总局2020年颁布各项目统一的体能测试,并且视为参加全国赛事和奥运会的门槛,其不同运动项目却采取相同体能测试标准的“一刀切”做法备受争议,甚至出现众多知名运动员无法参加全锦赛的情况,就连亚洲跑得最快的苏炳添都难以获得参赛资格。幸好各项目协会对体能测试进行了灵活应对,根据项目特点在体能测试时有所选择。
然而,在网友提问关于体能测试是否继续执行时,体育总局官网给出明确的答复:狠抓体能、恶补短板是东京奥运会备赛的成功经验,通过强化基础体能训练提高竞技水平、增强实战能力、磨炼意志品质、锻造优良作风、预防伤病和促进疲劳恢复等理念已得到各有关项目国家队和省市运动队的认可,正成为一种共识在队伍训练予以贯彻落实;体育总局将一以贯之持续重视并抓好体能训练工作,推动建立体能训练制度化、长效化、科学化工作机制。
因此,进入新的奥运周期,体能测试将依然成为各个运动项目的基础内容,新任的国家体育总局局长高志丹在去年年终的全国体育局长会议上也提出:坚持不懈抓体能,抓好抓实两个冬训。
当然,现在不会再执行此前的所有项目统一测试标准,而是根据项目特点设置各自的体能标准。因此,此次粤港澳全运会关于资格赛前进行体能测试的说明中也强调,合理设置体能测试内容、标准和方式,达标者方可参赛。
据罗普磷透露,国家体育总局在体能训练方面将规范各项目体能测试标准,定期组织体能测试评估,强化体能训练的监督指导;建立体能测试数据库,不断丰富和完善各项目基础体能、专项体能和冠军体能标准;完善制度措施,将体能水平与入队标准、选拔资格、参赛准入、奖励制度挂钩,推动体能训练持续强化深入。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)