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.
（新春见闻）穗港澳青年为羊城新春献上花样艺术“餐点”******
中新网广州1月14日电 题：穗港澳青年为羊城新春献上花样艺术“餐点”
中新网记者 王坚
新春将至，一股青春的艺术气息于14日吹进广州市青年文化宫(下称“广州青宫”)。当日，由共青团广州市委员会主办的“追梦——首届穗港澳青年艺术交流季”在广州青宫揭开序幕，来自穗港澳三地青年的逾百件作品正式揭开“红盖头”，在春节期间为羊城市民献上花样艺术“餐点”。
记者在活动现场看到，此次展出的作品，形式多样，除了常见的平面绘画，还囊括了雕塑、工艺作品、视觉传达等门类，充满趣味性和互动性，特别适合新春期间沉浸式体验。展览同步开设了线上展厅，让无法来到现场的观众们也能一饱眼福。
“参展的艺术家平均年龄不超过28岁，但是他们特有的大胆、敢想、前卫、潮流的风格给本次展览带来了青春、新鲜的气息，他们的作品常常使用出其不意的表达形式，给观赏者带来耳目一新的视觉享受。”广州青宫相关负责人表示，一改以往“名家名作带新人新作”的展览模式，此次展览最大程度地将展示平台留给了年轻艺术家，尤其是活跃在广州的穗港澳年轻艺术家们。
展览现场 杨青 摄其中，装置雕塑作品《素麒》令不少观众印象深刻。该作品由1997年出生于香港的杜梓锋带来，通过光影和简单道具的辅助，将未经雕琢的岭南狮头重新塑造成了一头气势威猛的雄狮形象，给大家带来新颖、独特的艺术体验。
令记者惊喜的是，此次展览还邀请了“小林漫画”加盟，小林老师用既温暖又深刻的方式，通过作品寄语2023年，为大家送上新年祝福。
此外，部分来自广州美术学院的上一年度优秀毕业生作品也将在此展览中亮相，踏上在学院之外展出的“初舞台”，给展览增添了青春活力、前卫创新。其中不乏许多人气作品，如用羊毛毡修复城市缝隙的“花花补丁”计划、呼唤人与自然和谐共处的创意作品《同象行》等。
“这个展览很有意思，除了画作，还有很多作品都是之前没见过的艺术表现形式，很喜欢。”广州市民陈心霓告诉记者，她和朋友特意来参观该展览，在看展的过程中感受年味，很特别。
值得一提的是，为了让市民们更直观地体验到艺术的魅力，“花花补丁”计划的发起者罗盛天表示，其将于19日带着自己对城市老建筑修复的思考和解决方案到广州青宫，带着大家用羊毛毡让老建筑的缝隙里“开出”朵朵小花，让来广州北京路“行花街”的朋友在“花花世界”中感受广州“老城市新活力”。
广州青宫介绍，此次展览活动将持续至3月下旬。春节期间，广州青宫还会于18日至28日为市民准备一道“文化盛宴”——“兔年潮市、拾忆民俗”2023年粤港澳大湾区(广州)青年民俗文化节活动，设有传统民俗互动体验、“喜迎新春”文艺演出、“花街奇遇结良缘”青年交友活动、开年看大戏、冰壶体验等多项精彩活动。(完)
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