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.
非遗迎春添年味儿******
【新春走基层】
光明日报记者 王笑妃
春节前夕,北京市杨梅竹斜街的一处非遗传习馆中,修女士正在欣赏自己绘制的金丝珐琅画:一只洁白圆润的萌兔正眯着眼睛,趴在一弯黄澄澄的月亮上酣睡。凑近端详,可见颜料的颗粒感,像把宝石碾碎,流光溢彩,熠熠生辉。“腊月里,来体验非遗手工迎兔年,感觉年味儿更足了。”修女士说。
伴随着蝈蝈热烈欢快的鸣叫声,修女士和同事体验了掐丝珐琅工艺中的“点蓝”一步。桌上摆着瓷蓝、珊红、松绿等用矿物制成的釉料颗粒,修女士用蓝管轻轻拾取釉料,一点点填入金丝间的缝隙,再拿蓝铲蘸水轻揉,让颜色自然晕染过渡。“看老师示范觉得简单,自己上手才发现‘点蓝’想要出彩,其中分寸、轻重的把握还是很考验技术的。下次我还要带朋友来,一起从‘掐丝’开始体验。”修女士兴致勃勃地说。
非遗传习馆的创始人郭巍,是金丝珐琅画非遗传承人,他希望以活态传承的方式,让跨越元明清三代、传承六百余年的掐丝珐琅工艺,在新时代绽放出独特光彩。“在博物馆隔着玻璃罩欣赏非遗工艺品,还不能完全展现它的魅力,只有让人们亲自动手体验制作过程,才能拉近它与百姓的距离,让人明白其中的韵味和妙处。”为了便于大众学习体验,郭巍提取了景泰蓝制作技艺中“掐丝”与“点蓝”的精髓,创新成金丝珐琅画的形式,省去了烧蓝、打磨、鎏金等纷繁复杂的操作工序。
为了让掐丝珐琅工艺从宫廷御用“飞入寻常百姓家”,郭巍将金丝珐琅画与人们生活日用的车载香薰、餐具装饰、化妆镜等结合,设计成别致的文创产品。和修女士一同来体验的李女士,选择在杯盖上绘制一朵亭亭玉立的芙蕖,“以后我打算在单位里每天用这个杯盖,这样就感觉非遗一下融入了我的生活”。
郭巍还尝试用金丝珐琅画的形式表现油画、卡通、插画等不同风格的绘画,以贴近现代人的审美。传习馆的墙上,挂满了一幅幅以细薄金丝掐制成各种花纹,再填进珐琅釉的瑰丽画作,有传统题材如九色神鹿、五福捧寿图,也有栩栩如生的雪豹、憨态可掬的卡通熊猫。
每年春节,郭巍都会以当年生肖为主题设计金丝珐琅画的图案。去年,他对瓦当形象中的“虎”进行二次创作,为虎加上三只翅膀,象征“如虎添翼”,数量则对应着天地人三才。今年兔年,他既为学员们准备了来自敦煌藻井中和谐典雅的“三兔共耳”图案,也准备了许多可爱的卡通兔子形象。郭巍介绍,春节前后,也有客人选择绘制春日的花卉来讨个彩头,如象征“和和美美”的荷花或寓意“玉堂富贵”的玉兰花。
记者注意到,传习馆的窗边摆放着许多玲珑可爱又喜庆的杯盖,有的上面绘有在圆滚滚身子上长着翅膀的“小仙兔”,有的在红底上以金色描出融合祥云图案的“福”字,有的绘有结着白霜的火红柿子。郭巍介绍,这是前几天一群放寒假的小学生来给家人制作的新年礼物。
在杨梅竹斜街,许多店铺已经贴上了红底墨书的福字和春联,端庄优雅的“古典”仙兔、灵动讨喜的“卡通”萌兔等非遗文创也被摆上了橱窗。在这里,人们可以体验制作老北京兔儿爷、毛猴,以及修复古陶瓷的“锔瓷”“金缮”工艺等非遗手工艺,过一个有浓浓年味的春节。
《光明日报》( 2023年01月11日 03版)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)