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.
“阳康”后盘点身体“健康资产”******
“阳康”后肺还好吗?咳嗽、头晕、用力时心慌、贫血……这些症状要不要紧?近期,针对“阳康”人群的体检需求,不少医院的体检中心纷纷推出为“阳康”市民定制的专项体检套餐,方便市民盘点身体“健康资产”。昨日,记者从医院获悉,专项体检套餐项目可根据体检者个体情况加减,价位在数百元到数千元不等,内容包括肺部CT平扫、超敏反应检测、心血管专项等,受到市民欢迎。
文/广州日报全媒体记者任珊珊 通讯员何旭鹏、林伟吟、周晋安
热门:有人体检时要求“自费加餐”肺部CT
“从去年12月底持续到现在,每天都有‘阳康’市民来咨询能否做些相关检查,每天少则十几人,多则数十人。”中山大学孙逸仙纪念医院体检中心主任陈庆瑜教授说,这些前来咨询的市民要么是在新冠抗原或核酸检测转阴后仍然有咳嗽、气短、胸闷、心慌、失眠等症状,要么是病后消瘦、食欲不佳、乏力、贫血、咽喉不适、嗅味觉减退、鼻炎发作或加重等。
记者从多家医院体检中心获悉,肺部CT成为不少单位团检的“热门项目”。一些参加单位团体体检的“阳康”者还会现场要求在团检的项目之外“自费加餐”,加做一些检测项目。“我抗原检测转阴十多天后依旧持续剧烈咳嗽,担心肺部功能没有恢复好。”白领柳女士说,在同事的建议下,她现场自费加做了肺部CT。据了解,像这样“自费加餐”的体检者并不少。
“核酸或抗原结果转阴并不等于真正的康复,我们的机体经过病毒的入侵后,器官功能会出现不同程度的损害,常见的有心肺功能、消化功能、免疫功能等,也有些人忧思过重,甚至出现心理问题,有必要通过对自己的‘健康资产’进行盘点来准确掌握身体的恢复状况。”陈庆瑜介绍,本着为市民解忧的原则,该院体检中心在原有检查项目的范围内,推出了“阳康”专项体检套餐。
联动:多科医生在线为“阳康”者定制检查检验项目
应近期市民“想在年度体检的时候看看身体恢复情况”的要求,中山大学附属第三医院在该院体检中心常规开展项目的基础上,由感染性疾病科、呼吸内科、心血管内科专家通过该院互联网医院,在线为“阳康”市民提供新冠感染后的身体机能全面评估,量身定制个性化的检验检查项目。市民可到医院体检中心或通过医院微信服务号、小程序“中山大学附属第三医院+”或医院APP“新冠体检门诊”开具检查项目。
“我‘阳康’半个月后想尽快恢复运动,但是稍微动一动就有点喘,担心心脏还没准备好。想做专项检查,但又不想去挤占门诊的医疗资源,也不知道该查哪些项目。”羽毛球爱好者李先生说,过年前为求一个心安,他在互联网医院线上咨询到相关专科的医生,选择心脏相关的体检项目,并进行了预约。听到“心脏功能正常”的体检结果后,李先生长出一口气,体检医生则建议他循序渐进地提升运动量。
提醒:“阳康”专项体检不能代替常规体检
陈庆瑜教授表示,“阳康”专项体检不能够代替全面的常规健康体检,个人体检可以通过体检中心公众号预约,有基础疾病和特别不适的人在体检时应提前向主检医生如实陈述,适当加减体检项目。
陈庆瑜表示,一般不建议免疫力相对较强、没有相应症状的年轻“阳康”者滥做肺部CT。
“我们发现,相当一部分体检者出现的问题不能归咎于新冠。”陈庆瑜介绍,这两年有些人体检不规律,导致摸不清自己的“健康家底”,把“阳康”后感受到的“不舒服”都归咎于新冠病毒感染。
此外,陈庆瑜特别提醒,一些高血压、高血脂、高血糖的慢病患者,用药控制较好,但在感染新冠病毒后自行停药或减少药量,停药后血脂反弹明显,而新冠病毒感染可能诱发血液高凝状态,加上天气原因可能导致脑梗甚至肺栓塞的发生。她建议,上述慢性病患者应坚持规律用药,不可擅自停药。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)