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.
重庆市慈善总会2022年各类慈善救助支出8.71亿元******
中新网重庆2月3日电 (记者 钟旖 韩璐)重庆市慈善总会第五届理事会第五次会议3日在当地召开。记者从会上获悉,2022年该总会共募集款物8.55亿元,各类慈善救助总支出8.71亿元,惠及困难群众50万人次以上。
“2022年,重庆市慈善总会切实把助力乡村振兴作为慈善发展的头等大事。”重庆市慈善总会会长刘光磊介绍说,2022年总会用于乡村振兴款物达7.35亿元,占同期总支出的85%以上。值得一提的是,总会争取腾讯公益支持,创新举办全国首个区域性乡村振兴专场公益活动,联动该市41个区县、54家社会组织及志愿服务组织,围绕助力乡村振兴,聚焦产业帮扶、养老帮扶等7个方面重点,策划上线286个项目,动员234万人次参与募捐。
刘光磊透露,2022年6月,总会还出台了今后五年助力乡村振兴实施意见,计划围绕当地4个国家级重点帮扶县、17个市级重点帮扶乡镇和4个对口村,5年捐赠投入30亿元以上帮扶资金,实施1000个项目,打造在全国全市有一定影响力的乡村振兴公益品牌项目20个以上,助力推进乡村产业、人才、文化、生态、组织全面振兴。
2022年是重庆互联网慈善取得新突破的一年,互联网募捐总额达6.74亿元,与2021年同比增加7717万元,年募捐额创历史新高;为持续推进互联网日常募捐,重庆市慈善总会已在全国12个公益平台上线项目,全年实现日常募捐筹款额9047万元,与2021年同比稳步增长,表明互联网募捐正由重数量向数量与质量并重转变。
刘光磊提到,重庆市互联网募捐合作伙伴实现慈善会系统全覆盖。全市41个区县慈善会、100多家社会组织和志愿者组织加入到总会互联网募捐队伍中,形成总会牵头,区县慈善会和社会组织参与,全市公益力量合作共赢的良好局面。
谈及下一步工作,刘光磊表示,当前和今后相当长一段时期,重庆市慈善总会将以“新重庆、新慈善”的新要求,助力乡村振兴取得新成效;互联网慈善作出新业绩;持续打造新品牌;弘扬慈善文化达到新水平;党建引领达到新标准。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)