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.
新冠病毒感染强调综合治疗****** 近期,一些治疗新冠的抗病毒药物受到高度关注。与病毒“交战”,真有所谓的“特效药”吗?静脉用丙种球蛋白突然成为“抢手货”,价格也随之猛涨,公众有必要储备吗?国家卫生健康委邀请相关领域的专家就此进行了解读。 “目前,新冠病毒感染的治疗仍然强调综合治疗,包括对症支持治疗、早期抗病毒治疗、早期氧疗、免疫治疗、抗凝治疗等,对于重要的脏器衰竭,如呼吸衰竭等,还要有呼吸支持治疗以及脏器功能的支持等。”北京大学第一医院感染科主任王贵强介绍,抗病毒治疗是综合治疗的一个重要组成部分,第十版诊疗方案中抗病毒治疗包括口服的小分子抗病毒药物。 “但病毒感染应该说没有特效药。有一些针对病毒的,比如能够抑制和干扰病毒复制的药物,可在病程早期使用。”北京市呼吸疾病研究所所长童朝晖介绍,有的药物要求5天以内使用,其实最有效的时间是2天以内。病毒刚进入人体、刚开始复制的时候使用药物干扰病毒的复制,能够减轻病毒的载量,进而减少对人体免疫系统的攻击,再加上自身的抵抗力,就能减少它向重型、危重型发展。 “小分子口服抗病毒药通过直接抑制病毒复制来清除或抑制病毒,减轻临床症状,缩短病程,降低重症风险,最终降低住院和死亡的风险。它的特点是口服,比较方便,在医院、社区、诊所、门诊都可以使用。”王贵强建议,老年人、有基础病的、没有打疫苗的等重症高风险人群应优先使用,降低重症风险,一般人群感染后使用价值并不大。 童朝晖提醒:“如果病程超过5天,已经进展为重症甚至危重症的时候,这些抗病毒药是没有效果的。” 抗病毒药物使用不当会出现哪些风险?王贵强说,抗病毒药物都有一定副作用,也有药物之间相互作用。 “像服用他汀类药物时就不能同时使用奈玛特韦这类药物,否则就会出现药物之间相互作用。有些肝肾功能严重损害的病人,有时候要调整剂量,甚至不能使用,所以一定要在医生指导下来使用这类抗病毒药。”王贵强说。 “有的群众一听‘特效药’,就给老人备点放在家里,老人就直接使用了,如果没有阅读说明书,风险更高。”童朝晖建议,服用药物必须认真阅读说明书,或是在专业医师的指导下使用。 近日,静脉用丙种球蛋白也引发不少网友求购。对此,王贵强介绍,静脉用丙种球蛋白能够减少炎症反应,但只建议在治疗重症病人时使用,“基本都是进入ICU的病人才需要使用,而且要在出现炎症因子风暴等特定情况下使用才有效果,不适合在家里使用,也没有预防新冠感染的作用,因此不建议在家里储备”。(记者 崔兴毅) (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |