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.
中国气象局:气象预警信息公众覆盖率达97.67%******
中新网1月9日电中国气象局新闻发言人宋善允9日介绍,中国气象局在101个大城市开展内涝气象风险监测预警业务。建成汇集了17个部门82类预警信息的国家突发事件预警信息发布系统和终端服务矩阵,可在3至8分钟内到达应急责任人。面向150万快递小哥、200万卡车司机提供定制化预警信息。预警信息公众覆盖率达97.67%。
中国气象局9日召开新闻发布会,发布《2021年中国温室气体公报》、2022年12月全国天气气候特征、2023年1月气候趋势预测气象服务提示、2022年国内国际十大天气气候事件、2022年全国天气气候盘点等相关内容,并回答记者提问。
会上,宋善允介绍,3年来,中国气象局加快推进气象现代化建设,努力构建科技领先、监测精密、预报精准、服务精细、人民满意的现代气象体系,推动气象高质量发展取得显著成效。
筑牢气象防灾减灾第一道防线,保障生命安全更加有力。深入开展“人民至上、生命至上”实践活动,成功预报有效应对近年来历次超强台风、特大暴雨洪水、低温雨雪冰冻、极端高温干旱等灾害性天气,气象灾害造成的经济损失占GDP比例下降至0.29%。不断健全“党委领导、政府主导、部门联动、社会参与”的气象防灾减灾工作机制,推动各地建立以气象灾害预警为先导的应急联动机制,探索极端天气下“停工、停课、停业、停产、停运”机制和预警叫应机制。在101个大城市开展内涝气象风险监测预警业务。建成汇集了17个部门82类预警信息的国家突发事件预警信息发布系统和终端服务矩阵,可在3至8分钟内到达应急责任人。面向150万快递小哥、200万卡车司机提供定制化预警信息。预警信息公众覆盖率达97.67%。
主动融入赋能,气象保障“国之大者”和生产发展成效更加凸显。2022年,全年粮食单产、总产预报准确率达99.9%,创近五年新高。联合农业农村部发布农业气象灾害风险预警,减灾增收30亿斤粮食。联合公安、交通部门推进108条恶劣天气高影响路段交通气象预警工作,督办路段全年交通事故同比下降43.6%,道路封闭次数降低57%,提升经济效益约24亿元。
坚持以人民为中心,气象改善民生福祉更有温度。气象服务公众覆盖率达99%,气象影视服务覆盖人群超10亿,气象科学知识普及率达80.2%,公众满意度达93分,群众气象服务获得感、幸福感和安全感明显增强。
坚持绿水青山就是金山银山理念,气象支撑生态文明建设作用更加显著。2022年全国人工影响天气累计增加降水约398亿吨,人工防雹作业保护面积约65万平方公里,减少经济损失约141亿元。
坚持胸怀天下,气象国际影响力进一步彰显。将“气象防灾减灾第一道防线”和“监测精密、预报精准、服务精细、生命安全、生产发展、生活富裕、生态良好”写入世界气象组织《未来的国家气象水文部门》白皮书,将“防灾减灾第一道防线”理念纳入台风委员会2022—2026年战略计划,中国方案走向全球。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)