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.
北京奥运塔、CBD等区域20日起将上演新春灯光秀****** 中新网北京1月11日电 (记者 杜燕)兔年新春佳节脚步临近，一串串大红灯笼、可爱的夜景灯光、漂亮的树挂灯饰、绚丽的渐变灯等将装点着大街小巷。1月20日起，北京奥运塔、大望京建筑组群、CBD区域以及同心桥、“炫彩望京”雕塑等将上演精彩的灯光秀。同时，科技AR秀将让市民拿着手机、不出家门也能欣赏精彩的“灯光秀”。 记者从北京市朝阳区了解到，该区将按照重大节日标准开启夜景照明，届时张灯结彩、喜庆祥和的氛围将陪伴市民一起迎接农历新年。同时，将推出新年灯光秀，以线上科技AR秀联动线下灯光秀，上演一场璀璨绝美的灯光秀。 线上科技AR秀+线下灯光秀 兔年新春，奥运塔、大望京建筑组群、CBD区域以及滕隆阁、华润时代、同心桥、通盈中心、“炫彩望京”雕塑将上演精彩的灯光秀。在灯光秀中，手提红灯笼的小兔子将成为主角，它身边是绽放着绚丽的“烟花”，一只金色的凤凰展翅腾空，为市民朋友带去吉祥如意。 除到现场欣赏灯光秀，今年春节期间，朝阳区还推出科技AR秀，市民拿着手机、不出家门也能欣赏精彩的“灯光秀”。AR秀以“朝阳元宇宙·光影展宏兔”为设计主题，通过奥运塔上京鼓鸣、幻境画卷大望京、时空之镜CBD、水行梦幻亮马河、凤舞滕隆兔报春等五个精彩场景。 14号线商业带沿线商圈火树银花  兔年新春佳节临近，夜景灯光等将装点着大街小巷。 北京市朝阳区供图北京市朝阳区各大商业区将点“靓”迎新春。在三里屯，沿街树木将缠绕上漂亮的灯串，它们仿佛为树木穿上晚礼服，部分树木上的灯串可实现颜色渐变。蓝岛-芳草地商圈、亮马河风情水岸等区域布置灯笼灯饰、景观小品，电子屏播放电子烟花、电子年画等烘托节日氛围， 特别是14号线商业带沿线商圈，在地铁口到商圈最后一公里沿线范围内，行道树将“穿”上星星点点的装饰灯，枝丫上悬挂着洁白的大雪花，一派火树银花。 夜幕降临，热闹的商圈在夜景灯光的烘托下更显得红红火火。假日期间，14号线商业带沿线商圈夜景照明时间将延长至各大商场闭店。 6处景观小品红红火火 大街小巷流光溢彩 春节来临前，北京市朝阳区将结合新春主题新建6处景观小品装置。 其中，神路街的景观小品将体现剪纸艺术，利用灯笼等元素突出传统文化精神；朝阳公园是春节期间市民重要的游乐场所，公园南门景观小品将以大白兔形象突出兔年生肖特点；朝阳站的景观小品由红色的水晶数字“2023”和可爱的兔头形象为近景，金色的朝阳区标志性建筑和红色的折扇为中景，金色门框、红色的变形中国结“新春送福”形象为背景，红色“北京欢迎您”字样寓意朝阳站作为北京东大门欢迎客人的到来；武圣东路的景观小品将被装点上活泼可爱的装饰灯、芦苇灯等，为市民打造沉浸式的景观效果；朝阳门环岛的景观小品将延续古代粮仓背景，展示朝阳区的门户形象；杨闸环岛的景观小品展现朝阳区立足于高科技发展的远景，起此彼伏的光影更烘托了浓浓的春节氛围。 除了景观小品，朝阳区将打造5条夜景靓丽街，分别是建外大街、工体东路、朝外大街、神路街、工体北路。灯串缠树、常规挂件、兔年特色路灯等元素将扮靓街道。  兔年新春佳节临近，夜景灯光等将装点着大街小巷。 北京市朝阳区供图此外，朝阳区将装饰天桥30座，其中重点装饰丰联广场附近的一座天桥，三里屯区域的3座天桥，三环路和四环路沿线各13座天桥。同时，朝阳区还将在背街小巷、社区、村庄、居民小区营造浓浓年味。 老物件再利用增添“新”年味 北京市朝阳区城管委相关负责人介绍，朝阳区春节景观布置将以中国红、金黄色为主色调，渲染浓浓的春节喜庆气氛。同时，点缀现代潮流的科技元素，蓝色、炫彩等效果则体现了朝阳区时尚感。 2023年是兔年，可爱的小兔子形象将被装饰在春节景观布置中。此外，充满着中国传统文化气息的红灯笼、剪纸、中国结、扇面、生肖、花灯、福字等以及元宇宙等科技元素也将被充分应用。 据介绍，春节景观布置以节能环保为主，充分“利旧”，也就是说将运用往年景观布置的灯笼灯饰、部件材料、景观小品等，通过变化布置点位、更换布置元素等方式，为节日景观布置增添“新”年味。同时，将运用传统文化和科技元素，打造国际范十足的节日氛围。(完)
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