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.
12月全国白酒价格指数环比微涨,春节酒企促销力度或加大******
新京报讯(记者秦胜南)据四川省泸州市酒业发展促进局发布的2022年12月全国白酒价格指数走势分析显示,2022年12月全国白酒月环比价格指数100.13,上涨0.13%。该分析指出,当前除茅台之外各大名酒的去库存进程还未终结,春节期间酒企促销力度可能将加大。
2022年12月,全国名酒环比价格指数100.20,上涨0.20%。具体来看,泸州老窖上涨0.03%,郎酒上涨0.53%,五粮液上涨0.60%,剑南春上涨0.05%,品味舍得上涨0.81%,汾酒上涨0.47%,口子窖上涨3.22%,洋河酒上涨0.05%,今世缘酒上涨0.23%,黄鹤楼上涨0.34%,酒鬼酒上涨0.16%;价格下跌的名酒有:水井坊下跌0.02%,全兴酒下跌1.65%,绵竹酒下跌0.11%,茅台下跌0.02%,董酒下跌4.31%,习酒下跌0.02%,西凤酒下跌0.61%,稻花香下跌1.30%,宋河粮液下跌1.91%,宝丰酒下跌3.40%,四特酒下跌0.26%;其他名酒价格保持稳定。
分析指出,2022年三季度六家名酒上市公司营收在白酒行业占比超过83%,净利润在白酒行业占比超过91%,显示出行业集中度进一步提升的趋势。当前,除茅台之外各大名酒的去库存进程还未终结,原有的库存加上疫情以来造成的消费场景受限、消费力下滑,令名酒不敢贸然亮出涨价的招牌。分析认为,2023年春节很大可能是除了茅台等少数名酒“皇帝的女儿不愁嫁”,大多数名酒和地方酒可能仍将延续2022年9月中秋期间的降价促销策略,而且春节期间的促销力度可能将加大。
2022年12月,地方酒环比价格指数100.08,上涨0.08%。具体来看,宜宾青花叙府上涨0.24%;绵阳丰谷酒上涨2.31%;新疆伊力酒上涨0.95%;江西李渡酒上涨0.97%;山东景芝酒上涨0.47%;内蒙古河套酒上涨0.47%;北京牛栏山酒上涨1.34%。地方酒下跌的有:宜宾梦酒天之梦铜樽下跌7.09%;成都文君酒下跌0.85%;河北衡水老白干下跌0.15%;贵州金沙古酒下跌2.22%;北京红星酒下跌0.52%;河南杜康酒下跌0.89%;湖北白云边下跌0.03%;其他地方酒价格保持稳定。
上述分析认为,当前白酒步入挤压式增长阶段,市场份额逐步向中高端品牌集中,低端白酒步入阵痛期。地方白酒需要更好地提升内功、完善营销和服务以逐步促进品牌升级。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)