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.
中共二十大注重讲好中国故事 突围文明话语困境******
(中共二十大·观察)中共二十大注重讲好中国故事 突围文明话语困境
中新社北京10月20日电 题:中共二十大注重讲好中国故事 突围文明话语困境
中新社记者 马海燕
2017年,230余件(套)阿富汗国宝来到中国展出。在中国巡展约三年间,140多万人观看过展览,并为它们颠沛流离的命运和守护者的默默付出而感动。
因为中国也曾有国宝毁于战火,也有国宝因战乱流失海外,所以中国人对所有文明的坚守和保护都心存敬意。
过去十年,富裕起来的中国人对精神生活的追求空前提高,走近世界舞台中央的中国对于深化文明交流互鉴也更加重视。
中共二十大报告提出:“增强中华文明传播力影响力,坚守中华文化立场,讲好中国故事、传播好中国声音,展现可信、可爱、可敬的中国形象,推动中华文化更好走向世界。”
此间传播学者注意到,这是党代会的报告首次将文明传播力影响力与国际传播能力放在一起阐述。
北京大学国家战略传播研究院院长程曼丽表示,这意味着中华文明不仅是“讲好中国故事、传播好中国声音”的重要方面,也将为国际传播能力建设提供更有力的价值支撑。
中国领导人高度注重从中华传统文化中汲取营养。从联合国教科文组织总部到阿拉伯国家联盟总部,从纪念孔子诞辰2565周年国际学术研讨会到亚洲文明对话大会,习近平在多个场合阐述中国的文明观。
从十九大报告提出“加强中外人文交流,以我为主、兼收并蓄”到二十大报告提出“增强中华文明传播力影响力”,执政党对以文明沟通民心、以文明塑造国家形象的思路更加清晰。
程曼丽表示,过去十年,中国领导人运用中华文明,提炼中国智慧,为世界治理提供中国方案。只有理解了中华文明,才能理解人类命运共同体背后的思想力量和精神力量;文明多元化决定了现代化道路的多元化,理解了中华文明,才能更好地理解中国模式、中国道路、中国式现代化的根基。
“西方以理性建构的方式,给世界强加一套规则体系,欲将中国塑造成西方投射政治想象的载体。”中国人民大学新闻学院教授赵永华说,21世纪的今天,中国突围文明话语困境的基本策略就是“讲好中国故事”,向世界传播中国声音,推动中华文化走向世界。“讲故事并不简单,是给周围世界和生活赋予意义和秩序的过程。”
赵永华认为,阻碍国外受众接受中国故事的并非信息不畅,而是根深蒂固的文化观念和偏见。讲故事的终极目标是要寻找到文化之间的可通约性,以文化间性和文化包容弥合文化差异,彰显中华文明的宽广胸襟。
资料图:2022年2月4日晚,第二十四届冬季奥林匹克运动会开幕式在北京国家体育场举行。中新社记者 李骏 摄北京冬奥会开幕式上,充满中国文化底蕴的“二十四节气”倒计时惊艳世界;闭幕式上,“折柳寄情”让世界看到了传统中国人的含蓄与深情。“相互尊重,平等相待”“美人之美,美美与共”“开放包容,互学互鉴”……这些中国传统文化和智慧也在“天下一家”的叙事中为更多人所理解。
文明交流体现在日常点滴中,从不戴有色眼镜看人,到尊重彼此的饮食、服饰、语言、风俗、传统和流行文化,再到彼此欣赏、美人之美、美美与共,需要千万条交流和对话的桥梁和纽带。
文明交流与传播也从官方、媒体、学界的行为变成民间自觉自发的行为。十年间,中国传统文化精粹不断融入新时代的发展潮流,国潮成为新时尚,文博创意产品成为网红新宠,非遗绝活正吸引着越来越多的新生代继承,并通过社交媒体吸引国外更多人的目光。
互联网上受欢迎的不仅有李子柒们展示田园风光的短视频,还有中国的网络小说、影视作品。国外受众从中一窥现代中国人的精神面貌。为了更好地了解中国文化,世界各地学习中文的年轻人也越来越多。
“文明的传播力影响力必须落在国际传播的实处才能焕发生机和活力。‘讲好中国故事、传播好中国声音’不仅仅是传媒机构的事。”程曼丽说,以文明交流超越文明隔阂,以文明互鉴超越文明冲突,以文明共存超越文明优越,任重而道远。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |