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.
在语言文字盘点中回眸与展望******
每到岁末，各类年终盘点成为人们分享的焦点，这些盘点带领我们回眸过去一年的社会点滴，也唤起每个人经历过的重要时刻、酸甜苦辣。其中，“年度汉字”“年度热词”“年度流行语”等评选，有着和“高考作文题”相似的魔力。语言文字作为社会生活的基本工具，真实记录着社会生活的方方面面，生动呈现着社会发展的脚步、人们生活的节奏。眼下，各类流行语被打上“2022”的烙印，又蕴藏着对“2023”的无限希冀。
各类语言文字盘点中，我们能深切感受到时代的发展进步，也能体味到群众生活的点点滴滴。2022年，党的二十大胜利召开，学习宣传贯彻党的二十大精神迅速掀起热潮，全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程迈出坚实步伐。“党的二十大”“中国式现代化”“全过程人民民主”等入围流行语，镌刻了党和国家发展的重要节点，体现着新时代中国的守正创新、自信自强。“一起向未来”“我的眼睛就是尺”等热词带我们回到去年初北京的冬奥时间，中国向世界奉献了一届简约、安全、精彩的冬奥盛会，中国体育代表团创造了历史最好成绩，北京成为全球首个“双奥之城”。而“数字藏品”“沉浸式”“冰雪经济”等热词，描绘了过去一年群众生活的丰富多彩，假日约上三五好友在雪场竞技、收集数字藏品、体验多重感官享受的沉浸式媒体作品，逐渐成为2022年的新时尚。热词与流行语之间，体现着每一个“小我”与国家的紧密连接。
盘点中涌现的新词语，既反映社会新风尚，也折射出汉语的独特魅力。新奇有趣的网络流行用语总能给我们带来新的感受和惊喜，网民妙手偶得的灵光一现，成为全民广泛使用的风趣表达。比如“电子榨菜”，指吃饭时观看视频或聆听音频，这种场景下，音视频内容成为佐餐的“下饭菜”，因此被形象地称为“电子榨菜”。网络新词本质上体现的行为和事件也许并不算新奇，但透过这些流行的新鲜表述，我们能触摸当代年轻人的生活风尚，了解年轻人的心态和精神需求，也能深切感受中国语言文字的博大精深。许多网络热词甚至早已走出国门，在日本、新加坡、马来西亚等海外汉语文化圈中广泛使用，成为世界了解中国、中国连接世界的一个窗口。
