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.
温州医科大学附属第一医院为健康保驾护航****** 1月9日上午9时,温州医科大学附属第一医院内一位67岁老人昏迷后口吐白沫。伴随着一声声沙哑的“让一让,请让一让!”担架上的老人被推入急诊抢救室。抢救室拥挤到医生也快无处下脚的地步,没有空床,医护人员只能就地抢救……这样的急救画面时刻都在发生,抢救室内的床位已经满员,作为战时抢救后备区域的急诊大厅也躺满了人,内科急门诊诊室由原来的2个增加到8个,但每天依然是黑压压的一片人头在排队。 “我在新疆已经阳过了,非常时期,可以尽一份力。”还在援疆服务期的消化内科副主任黄庆科刚结束2个月的方舱工作,根据上级指令回温州休假的他,主动报名返院支援,连续多天在急门诊连轴转。“1月4日,急诊总人数1900余人,其中急危重症患者约130人;全院住院患者4200人,床位全满……”急诊科副主任(主持)洪广亮介绍,最近急诊抢救入院人数是平时的近3倍,其中急危重症数量较平常增加尤为明显,且大多是有基础疾病伴发低氧血症的老年人。在公园路院区急诊科,整个急诊大厅都躺满了人,急诊一楼后门CT室门口都是加床。 连日来,为使患者得到及时有效的救治,温州医科大学附属第一医院“全院启动方舱模式”收治新冠病毒感染患者,储备应急支援队伍,抽调医务人员支援发热门诊、急诊及重症隔离病区,职能处室负责人驻点急诊抢救室、发热门诊、参与临床查房,协助患者分流、调配床位…… “好在最近几天医院出了很多新政策,医务处的几位负责人每天在两个院区的急诊科协调,滞留人数降下来了,医疗救治秩序也更加高效了。”负责公园路院区急诊运行的急诊科副主任吴斌介绍说,根据阶段性患者实际就诊需求的变化,动态优化政策发挥了重要作用。前段时间公园路院区急诊内科诊室排长队,就增设发热门诊和机动班,向各科室抽调有抗疫经验的医护人员支援发热门诊,加快患者分流,提高了诊疗效率;近几日抢救室接诊的高龄老人、基础疾病患者数量较多,医院则安排各科室支援急诊,按指标认领病人,滞留人员大大减少。 说起坚持在急救一线的医护人员,急诊400病区护士长李心群和410副护士长何春雷有些哽咽:“工作量翻了好几倍,不少同事感染后还未痊愈,有的夜班护士还在发烧,但大家都是做急诊的,都知道现在的困难,好多人二十来天几乎没休息过,大伙儿都说自己随时能顶上,一定会扛过去的。” “所有床位迅速收满,这里就如临时的‘战地医院’,每个医护人员都绷紧了神经竭尽全力救治患者。”1月9日早上8时,在6号楼重症救治病区,ICU副主任王晓蓉、徐红蕾与经培训的内外科支援人员组成诊疗小组正在紧张的查房中。收治在重症病区的患者大都是患有基础疾病合并新冠病毒感染的老年人,病情变化快,医护人员时刻承担着巨大的体能消耗与心理压力,半夜接到“抢救电话”赶回病区支援是常态,很多时候结束抢救后,因放心不下患者,医护人员就在办公室简单打个盹,再投入新一天的工作。 “全院护理人员随时投入医院救治工作,特殊时期有太多‘轻伤不下火线’的例子,让我们又心疼又为他们全力拼搏的精神感动。”护理部主任孙彩霞说。重症医学科副主任医师马继红,第一时间进入增开的重症病房,连续半个月无休,为争取生命抢时间。“人手不足时,白班夜班连着上,医院给的5天隔离假一天也用不上。” 俯卧位通气治疗有利于肺炎患者血氧值的提升,对于救治工作尤为关键,收治在重症救治病区的患者往往是缺乏自主性的高龄老人,自身无意识使不上力,常常需要4、5名医护人员一起协助。每天上午下午各两次翻身俯卧,一轮下来,医护人员脸上身上早已被汗水浸透。“虽然工作量大幅增加,但看到患者呼吸逐渐顺畅,也给了我们许多救治的信心。”说话间,重症监护室护士长张其霞又匆匆投入了紧张的工作。 时值深冬,“老慢支”、肺心病、肺气肿等疾病高发,呼吸与危重症医学科全科出动,每日仅系统中收到的会诊申请都在150人左右,床位一扩就满,通宵夜值成为日常。担任呼吸与危重症医学科住院总的主治医师陈超蕾每日奔波在会诊和协调呼吸科床位的路上,几乎每天都深夜或凌晨才完成会诊记录。在排床时,她也会主动和急诊分流的医师申请,将更加危急的病患排到呼吸科病区,以缓解其他专科病区的压力。 为应对庞大的发热患者就诊人次,温州医科大学附属第一医院发热门诊诊室从3个增至7个,由原本感染内科固定配员变为感染内科带头,其他内外科医师增援。发热高峰时期,前去支援的医护人员纷纷因频繁接诊新冠感染患者而发烧,发热门诊组长、感染内科医师陈瑞聪说,“我们都不忍心请假,因为不是我强撑着在干,就是我的兄弟替我顶着。” 本轮疫情初起时,372名各专科的规培研究生与外院规培学员第一时间选择留下,他们大部分人也感染了新冠病毒,面对巨大的救治压力,年轻的他们休息一两天就回到工作岗位。重症高峰到来,又有300余名研究生返院加入到全院医疗救治队伍。 据悉,温州医科大学附属第一医院组建了500人重症、急诊后备队,360人重症护理队,500人发热门诊后备队,所有人员都经过重症、急诊轮岗,技术过硬,实行车轮战,轮番上阵。(光明日报全媒体见习记者刘习记者陆健) (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |