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.
留琼台胞过小年 两岸“云拜年”解思愁******
中新社海口1月26日电 (记者 张茜翼)“祝你新年快乐，虎虎生风，恭喜发财！”受新冠肺炎疫情影响，今年春节许多在琼台胞选择“就地过年”。1月26日恰逢中国传统南方小年，海南省台资企业协会会长谢文盛邀请数位留琼过年的台商及陆配相聚，共迎新春佳节。
“大家在此时相聚，有一种家的感觉，感到很温暖。”在大陆打拼多年的台商张岳玄说，海南已成为他的第二故乡，在大陆过年没有“孤单”感。
疫情阻隔相聚却割不断两岸亲情相连，留琼台胞思乡情浓，心系远方亲友。当天，他们通过“云拜年”的方式与远在台湾的亲朋互道平安，送上新年祝福。
十多年前嫁到台湾的琼籍陆配谢泳春今年头一回与丈夫相隔两岸过年，聚会当天她也与身在台湾的丈夫视频通话，互拜早年。在海南从事花道艺术的谢泳春说，她去年在台南举办了一场插花与绘画艺术联展，她希望今年将这门艺术在海南推广。
在谢文盛看来，台胞拜年的方式因疫情有所改变，但是亲情的联系、感情的交流不变。
贴对联、品好茶、尝佳果，留琼台胞欢聚一堂聊家常，话自贸港发展新期许。
台商在交谈中感慨，老一辈来琼创业的台商以从事农业、旅游业为主，而当下“闯海南”的台商不断顺应时代潮流，将投资领域越拓越宽。如今，高新技术产业、现代服务业、现代农业等正在成为台商投资海南的重点领域。
海南自贸港建设吸引越来越多的台湾青年来琼创业就业。“年轻人受教育程度高，敢于创新，老一辈台商是他们的坚强后盾。”谢文盛说，近年来，大陆经济社会不断发展，此时正是台胞在大陆发展的好机会，他鼓励台青抓住机遇，大胆探索创新，在这片热土上发挥专长。
据海南省台办介绍，三年多来，海南全省新增台资企业302家，实际利用台资3.08亿美元。2021年1月至12月，海南新增台企160家；去年1月至11月，琼台两地贸易额达17.01亿元人民币，同比增长89.4%。
为了给生活和居住在海南的台胞做好服务，海南省台办、海南省台联、海南省台资企业协会已联合建立“海南省台胞台企之家”，开展交流联谊、政策宣传、协调服务、资源共享、实践锻炼、法律咨询。
谢文盛称，下一步，海南省台资企业协会将继续发挥自身优势，增进台商台企之间的团结联谊和交流合作，加强与当地各有关部门的联系，为促进两岸关系和平发展做出应有贡献。(完)
