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.
探访医院重症监护病房：超常规满负荷飞速运转******
六七个护士齐心协力，将患者平托至病床，更换病号服、监测生命体征、填写患者信息……又是一番忙碌。 韦亮 摄 (新春走基层)探访医院重症监护病房：超常规满负荷飞速运转 中新网太原1月11日电 题：探访医院重症监护病房：超常规满负荷飞速运转 中新网记者 范丽芳 “你赶快派人把重症的床推回来，这边有重症患者等着用呢，特殊时期，咱们不能走常规交接。”山西白求恩医院重症医学科(ICU)护士长武文静语气焦急，挂了电话后，又叮嘱专人尽快和科室完成病床交接，“现在的工作数以秒计，说话有点急，大家也都理解。” 近日，记者探访山西白求恩医院ICU病房。伴随着医疗设备发出的此起彼伏的“滴滴滴滴”，多数患者在呼吸机的辅助下呼吸，病房里偶有剧烈而艰难的咳嗽声响起；医护人员或步履匆忙穿梭在病区，备药、整理器械，或守在患者床旁，检查生命体征、调整呼吸机参数、调整补液速度，为患者翻身、排痰…… 作为省内最早开放、全面收治新冠病毒感染患者的医院之一，山西白求恩医院提供的数据显示，2022年12月7日以来，该院急诊及发热门诊接诊近9000人次，全院入院人数累计近6000人次。当前，医院正面临日均400至500名急诊感染患者就诊，其中不少属于重症。 “我们已经把ICU床位从30张扩至54张，除了医疗设备，医院还增派6名医生、60名护士来支援。”该院ICU主任武卫东介绍，该科室患者平均年龄在80岁以上且合并症较多，平均住院日较长。
医护人员正在救治重症患者。 韦亮 摄 也因为此，ICU护士长武文静看到在转运床上等待病床的患者，不由得焦急万分、语速加快，“冒着得罪人的风险”也得将病床尽快“催”回来，“为争分夺秒救治患者，我们每个人、每个环节必须超常规满负荷飞速运转。” 记者离开ICU病房时，保洁人员已将被送回的病床进行清洁消杀，六七个护士齐心协力，将患者平托至病床，更换病号服、监测生命体征、填写患者信息……又是一番忙碌。 作为迎战重症高峰的第一道关口，急诊科更早感受到扑面而来的接诊压力。 山西白求恩医院急诊内科副主任刘宏轩介绍，起初接诊的患者多是发烧、咳嗽、气喘等症状，“这几天，从各市、县等基层转来的重症患者明显增多”。 为缓解急诊科压力，医院将急诊内科和急诊外科床位合并，扩增固定床位；将发热门诊留观床位和感染病科床位作为急诊机动床位；在急诊原有基础上，全院随时调拨支援；医务部、护理部成立专班驻扎急诊，24小时排班值班。 疫情“大考”仍在继续。武卫东、武文静、刘宏轩等临床一线的医护人员开始思考，未来，如何加强人才储备、制定诸如患者猛增等突发状况的应急预案、优化对重症患者个性化和精细化管理、强化各科室院感培训等。(完) 一分快3地图 |
