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.
二十大代表风采丨青海林业专家张锦梅：一“梅”苦寒三十载 高原见绿满城香****** 中新网西宁10月10日电 题：青海林业专家张锦梅：一“梅”苦寒三十载 高原见绿满城香 作者 潘雨洁 深秋时节，高原小城青海省西宁市的丁香花朵早已开败。 “现在只剩叶子，你看不出它们的区别，”西宁市林业科学研究所党委书记、所长张锦梅指向山路旁高低错落的灌丛，对中新网记者说：“但到了明年四五月，这些不同品种的丁香又会竞相盛放，香气散遍山野，一路都能闻到。”  图为张锦梅在实验室工作。马铭言 摄说着，她从包里掏出剪刀，钻进树坑，边修剪枝条，边指点一旁的同事。 “这剪子她用了十几年，”西宁市林业科学研究所副所长满丽婷笑着说，“在田间地头，摆穴盘、播种、修剪……每次都跟所里的年轻人一起，手把手地教。”
起风了，山上冷飕飕，张锦梅却出了一头汗。“这株是暴马丁香，街面上很常见，”她说，“还有一些适应高寒的品种，比如四川丁香、辽东丁香，种在高海拔的三江源地区，可提高城镇绿化率。” 丁香是西宁市市花，种植历史已久。但传统品种多年未经选优慢慢退化，良种率降低，影响景观效果。  图为张锦梅(中)与同事在西宁北山查看丁香树。马铭言 摄自2013年成立以来，西宁市林业科学研究所开展丁香资源调查、品种收集、适生筛选等工作，先后从国内外引进收集各类丁香品种103个，建立全国首个丁香国家林木种质资源库，并通过播种、扦插、嫁接、组培等方式扩繁，培育良种。 “建立资源库后，可以长期、系统保存种质资源，为日后丁香的深入研究、杂交选育奠定种质基础。”张锦梅说。 站在西宁北山远眺，虽已深秋，周边群山绿意依旧，林丛掩映下的街区华灯初上，眼前的城市已与三十年前全然不同。 对此，张锦梅深有体会。 西宁地处黄土高原向青藏高原的过渡带，海拔2300米以上，干旱缺水、适宜树种少、春旱持续久。  图为张锦梅修剪丁香枝干。马铭言 摄“春天干风卷沙，地上升温，苗木枝干开始活动，”张锦梅介绍，“而根系地下的土壤还未化冻，营养水分无法输送，造成‘生理干旱’，存活率低。” 除了自然条件限制，上世纪九十年代，立地条件差、树种单一、造林技术落后，都直接影响苗木成活率。“那时候只能有啥种啥，年年栽树老地方，年年栽树不见树。”张锦梅回忆。 什么树能在干燥、风大、高寒条件下长期存活？张锦梅和同事们从选育树种开始探索。“选树就像选人，要选优培养。”她说，通过自然选育和人工干预，利用变异杂交出抗逆性更强的品种，还要经得住多年野外环境的检验，才算成功。  图为西宁北山上的丁香树。马铭言 摄“适地适树”培育的同时，他们也在不断改进旱作造林综合技术，根据不同梯度、立地条件，开挖水平沟、鱼鳞坑，整地节流、蓄水保墒；并采取株间、行间、带状混交模式，造“乔灌草”复层生态林，既可避免大面积病虫害，又能较好地发挥生态功能。 近三十年间，西宁市区南北两山森林覆盖率从7.2%上升到79%，在张锦梅看来，数字背后是坚持换来的“逆袭”：集生态景观、防风固沙、涵养水源等功能于一体的山林环抱城市，湟水两岸绿树成荫，气候变得湿润，“晴天一头土，雨天一腿泥”的记忆已经远去。 如今，张锦梅带着她的团队，致力将绿意播向更广阔的天地。为了在严重干旱的柴达木盆地建起防风固沙的“绿色长城”，他们选择杨树“家族”中耐旱性强的小叶杨作为骨架树种，选育采穗圃，已收集近300个杨树品种，为大规模推广种植打下基础。  图为张锦梅查看丁香生长情况。马铭言 摄林木生长周期长，从播种到开花需要多年守候，选育过程更是跋山涉水，艰苦异常。很多人耐不住、等不及，但张锦梅却坚持走了三十多年，而且越走越不想放慢脚步。 “只有真正投入大自然中，才感到‘大美青海’所言非虚。”张锦梅感慨，青藏高原是独特的地理单元和天然种质基因库，丰富的植物资源尚未被充分发掘、利用，“比起成就感，更意识到自身认知的浅薄，常常觉得时间不够。” 在她引导下，青年后辈们继续着对国土绿化和乡土树种的研究、保护和利用。 “功成有我，不必在我，”张锦梅说，这篇写在青藏高原山川大地上的“论文”，正在几代林业人的接续奋斗中未完待续。(完)
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