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.
【农业强国光明谈】何以夯实粮食安全根基?******
我国目前的粮食安全保障能力如何?“农业强国”对于重要农产品供给提出了什么新要求?本期《农业强国光明谈》邀请中国社会科学院农村发展研究所所长、研究员魏后凯和中国农业科学院农业经济与发展研究所党委书记、研究员毛世平,一起了解我国如何守护粮食安全。
魏后凯在节目中介绍了目前我国的粮食安全保障能力。我国一直高度重视粮食安全,自从“口粮绝对安全”的战略底线被提出后,中国农业科学院每年都会进行测算,目前我国的谷物自给率保持在95%以上,我们的粮食安全有保障。但同时,粮食安全的潜在风险依然存在:首先是人口众多决定了农产品根基规模量大,容易产生巨大的市场动摇;第二是我国油料作物自给率低,部分品种依赖进口;第三是我国的饲料粮需求量越来越大,未来需要建立多元化食物供给体系,来保障粮食安全。
毛世平分享了“农业强国”对于重要农产品供给提出的新要求。要保证重要农产品有效供给,必须重视这几个方面:首先是科技,科技起到重要的支撑作用,目前我国已经取得了一些成绩,比如大豆产量的提升;第二要提升我国的抗风险能力,比如采取多方措施来增强抗自然灾害的能力和重大病虫害的监测预报能力等。
访谈中,魏后凯和毛世平还探讨了如何提高农业竞争力、我国耕地存在的问题和治理措施等话题,点击视频观看详情。
往期回看:
【农业强国光明谈】从农业大国迈向农业强国,面临哪些机遇和挑战?
【农业强国光明谈】国产白羽肉鸡自主育种“突围”记
科学顾问
魏后凯
中国社会科学院农村发展研究所所长 研究员
毛世平
中国农业科学院农业经济与发展研究所党委书记 研究员
联合出品
科普中国
中国农业科学院
农业农村部人力资源开发中心
中国农学会
光明网
总 监 制
宋乐永 廖丹凤
总 策 划
战 钊 邬震坤宋雅娟
导 演 组
宋雅娟 武玥彤 谢 芸
主 持 人
林佳欣
视觉设计
翟 烽
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)