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.
“大道”与“天下”,遇见习近平讲述的世界****** (近观中国)“大道”与“天下”,遇见习近平讲述的世界 中新社北京9月21日电 题:“大道”与“天下”,遇见习近平讲述的世界 作者 钟三屏 中国传统的道家思想、古希腊的哲学思想,让二者在西班牙专家安永脑海中交汇的,是中国国家主席习近平在二〇二一年新年贺词中所说的一句话:“大道不孤,天下一家”。 当时,在谈及世纪疫情对全球的冲击时,习近平藉此表示,经历了一年来的风雨,我们比任何时候都更加深切体会到人类命运共同体的意义。 作为中央党史和文献研究院的西班牙语专家,安永的一项重要工作是将中国领导人的讲话翻译成西班牙语,帮助西语国家的受众更好地了解中国。 面对习近平这句富有东方哲思的话,安永认为,翻译的关键在于对“大道”的理解。“‘大道’是非常具有中国文化和历史内涵的一个词。我们需要让西语的读者明显看出这是一种带有中国传统文化特色的表达,同时又能了解其中的含义。” 习近平使用的“大道”一词,可以追溯到道家思想甚至更早,其中的“道”更是中国传统文化中具有符号意义的字眼。外界观察到,从国学经典中寻找智慧、从传统文化中汲取滋养,是习近平经邦论道、治国理政的一大特点。事实上,习近平讲到的这句话就引据自《论语》中的“德不孤,必有邻”。 因此,在翻译时,安永也希望让译文能具有西方古典文化的色彩。反复揣摩后,他选择古希腊哲学中的一个词“excelencia(表示一切美好的品质)”来解释“大道”,并将这句话翻译为:“La recta excelencia del orbe nos emparenta.”即“遵循宇宙间一切美好的品质使我们亲近。” 这样的翻译方法,也让安永觉得符合习近平主席所表达的人类命运共同体理念。“‘大道不孤,天下一家’与人类命运共同体理念表达了相同的内容,习近平主席用这句话就是为了阐述人类命运共同体的理念。” 他从文本的角度进一步阐述,“一家”“不孤”有“共同体”的意味,而“大道”与“命运”则相互关联,“人类”则与“天下”处在相同范畴。在他眼中,“天下”是中国传统文化中又一典型符号。 中华民族历来讲求“天下一家”,2500多年前,就提出了“大同”社会理想,主张民胞物与、协和万邦、天下大同,憧憬“大道之行,天下为公”的美好世界。这样的“天下观”也显见于中国共产党的发展史。 2021年,中国共产党在回望百年发展历程时,就将“坚持胸怀天下”总结为十条历史经验之一。 习近平提出的“构建人类命运共同体”理念,被视为中国共产党在新时代“胸怀天下”的集中体现。“把我们生于斯、长于斯的这个星球建成一个和睦的大家庭,把世界各国人民对美好生活的向往变成现实。”这正是习近平讲述的“天下一家”的世界愿景。 安永说,回想起来,在他第一次看到“大道不孤,天下一家”这句话之前,似乎不曾看到哪个政党以这样的视角和高度,提出如人类命运共同体一般关乎世界发展的理念。 “我认为这是一个非常积极的理念和非常积极的倡议,它能够连接人心,能够让人们之间互相理解。”安永说。 回到现实,安永的工作在旁人看来,似乎也有些“天下一家”的意味。中央党史和文献研究院第六研究部,集结了安永等来自不同国家、使用不同语言的翻译者,他们与中国专家一起工作,将中国共产党的很多重要文献介绍给世界。安永说,“翻译是构建文明的一种方式”,这份工作的意义就是“让世界互相理解”。 “推进人类各种文明交流交融、互学互鉴,是让世界变得更加美丽、各国人民生活得更加美好的必由之路。” 习近平的这句话,让安永更加理解自己的这份工作。他时常为自己翻译好了某一句话而开心一整天——灵光乍现的那一刹那,他抓住了不同文明交融碰撞的火花。(完)(图片素材来源:新华社、中新社、中新网) (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |