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.
【浙江龙泉“青马学习班”系列调研(一)】搭建一个“出真知”的学习体系******
明天的中国,希望寄予青年。
党的二十大报告指出,“全党要把青年工作作为战略性工程来抓,用党的科学理论武装青年,用党的使命感召青年”。
新时代新征程,如何提升广大青年的理论素养,加强广大青年的思想引领,锤炼广大青年干事创业能力,推动广大青年以奋斗姿态挺膺担当,是各级党委政府必须高度重视的课题。
2022年以来,浙江省龙泉市在全域举办青年马克思主义者学习班(青马学习班),针对年轻干部和青年人才的理论学习和能力提升,进行了有效探索。
知行合一,打破理论与实践的“壁垒”
“理论脱离实践是空谈,能够指导实践才是真知。青年马克思主义者学习班就是要为广大青年干部、人才提供一个‘出真知’的地方。”谈起举办“青马学习班”的初衷,龙泉市委组织部常务副部长李小春的回答简洁而又直指问题的关键。
在李小春看来,青年群体有朝气,有冲劲,有强烈的求知欲,但也往往对理论知识掌握不透,对实践问题了解不深,给自身的工作、发展造成困扰。“青马学习班”就是要打破青年干部人才遇到的理论与实践之间的“壁垒”,为青年答疑解惑,通过学习,掌握科学理论蕴含的世界观和方法论,提升解决实践问题的本领,实现锻炼一支高水平的青年人才队伍的目的。
学习班开班第一课
龙泉市“青马学习班”起初在2022年7月开办。党的二十大之后,结合二十大报告的新理念、新提法、新论断,对学习内容进行了系统性地丰富、完善、提升。整体课程以“习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想”为总论,设置涵盖政治、经济、文化、科教、民生、生态等11个篇章,并于2022年12月正式开班。
“升级”后的学习班在保持理论学习的高度与深度、全面与系统的同时,也高度关照龙泉当地的市情实际,鼓励学员们从地方产业发展、基层社会治理、营商环境建设、生态价值转化等实际工作中深刻理解理论的指导意义,理论与实践相结合的特点更加明显。
在这里,学员们结合龙泉发展实践对党的二十大精神进行系统钻研,常修常炼,常悟常进。培训班学员夏柳希说,“青马学习班”促使年轻干部以更高标准更严要求,系统深入地学习习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想,在学习中成长,在实践中长技,不断提高适应新时代的业务能力和专业素质。
由点及面,实现从“盆景”到“风景”的跃变
学习班最初的开办具有实验性质,龙泉决定“点上先行”,在青年干部群体中先行先试,开设“86后”副科级干部、“91后”优秀年轻干部2个班次。学员在单位推荐的基础上,组织开展“综合比选”,最终择优选取80名青年干部以“周末课堂”形式开展为期一年的集中学习。
随着学习班开办经验的日益丰富、成熟,以及龙泉发展对青年干部人才的旺盛需求,龙泉在学习班开办上更进一步。
一是“线上延伸”。学习班广泛吸纳新生代企业家、青年工匠、教师、医护、农师、妇女等各行业、各领域中的青年才俊,形成新生代企业家、青年剑瓷匠人、青年巾帼等8个学习班,既实现了统一学习品牌、统一学习体系、统一管理体制,又做到分群体、分专题开展针对性学习培训。
二是“面上覆盖”。构建起市乡村三级联动格局,龙泉全市19个乡镇(街道)及若干村(社)同步铺开,学习班学员从开班之初的80人增长至1600余人,累计组织学习活动52场,实现“青马学习班”从“盆景”到“风景”的持续跃变。
青年当立鸿鹄志,做力行者。如何将理论融入实践,培育一支想干事、能干事、干成事的人才队伍,一直是理论教学的难点。“青马学习班”通过系统性地学马信马、研马用马,帮助青年群体提高理论素养,砥砺理想信念,在学思践悟中理解龙泉的发展脉络,明确自己的奋斗方向,正在交出一份扎实的“龙泉答案”。
(光明网记者 陈建栋、李澍)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)