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.
台胞“邱邱老师”和他的马赛克“鱼盘”******
中新网淄博1月2日电 题:台胞“邱邱老师”和他的马赛克“鱼盘”
中新网记者 李欣
用陶瓷和琉璃的碎片,按照马赛克的拼接方式,制造出淄博传统馈赠礼品“鱼盘”造型,这是台胞邱建铭任教山东理工大学美术学院后创造的独特艺术形式。
“我也是受到淄博的陶瓷和琉璃大师们的启发并结合自己研究生时钻研的马赛克壁画,才创新出马赛克“鱼盘”的。”邱建铭介绍,到山东理工大学任教的两年间,他在当地很多陶瓷和琉璃厂发现,即使是一些废弃的陶瓷和琉璃碎片都很美,如果加以利用,可以是一种新的艺术形式。“所以我就用马赛克的形式制作了传统'鱼盘'造型。”
邱建铭被他的学生们亲切称为“邱邱老师”。他也和学生成为了教学相长的朋友,“他们带我去吃博山菜、撸串,还教我很多生活窍门”。虽然人在异乡,但学生们的热情温暖了这位台湾老师。
“在我教授的‘文化传承与创新设计’课程中,学生们就用陶瓷、琉璃的碎片来拼接出‘鱼盘’等传统造型。现在学校里摆了很多我的学生创作的陶瓷琉璃马赛克作品。”邱建铭认为,学生亲自手作可以做到从临摹到转译,通过马赛克图片拼接和组合认知艺术,手眼结合的拼接制作和马赛克堆叠的质感,比画图更直观。
“学生很喜欢这种新型教学方式。”在邱建铭看来,台湾的文创起步比较早,但大陆这两年的文创产业也突飞猛进。而文创必须生活化和精神化,并包含对美育的培养和对生活的热爱。文创应该是开放、富有弹性,可以联结很多人,包容不同需求。“每个人对文创的理解不同,需要求最大公约数。两岸的文创产业也应该多交流学习、实现互补。”
2009年邱建铭借两岸大学生交流活动,第一次“登陆”,打破了他对大陆的刻板印象,也一步步促成了他最终到大陆执教。“两岸艺术具有互补性,可以互相交流借鉴。”邱建铭介绍说,他在山东理工大学任教期间一直积极促进两岸艺术家作品联展和台湾艺术家线上讲座。“虽然疫情期间人员交流不方便,但我会邀请我的硕士、博士导师为同学们做线上讲座,还组织两岸艺术家互寄作品,在当地展出。”
与此同时,邱建铭还邀请在大陆各地执教的台湾老师组织学校、地区间的作品联展和交流品评会。
“作为教师,接触最多的就是大学生。”执教多年的邱建铭认为:“两岸青年应该多交流,两岸年轻人都需要更多延展自己的空间,接触更多不同的地方、不同的人。人的生命和视野有限,不要太快评判事物,会阻碍自己与外界的联系,需要自己不断亲眼所见、亲身感受。”(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)