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.
重庆丰都发挥“人才荟萃”优势 为乡村振兴注入“新力量”******
中新网重庆2月3日电(杨梦逸)新春伊始，重庆丰都县龙河镇洞庄坪村已经是一片繁忙的景象，村民们修缮农房、建造大棚，虽然辛苦，但脸上都洋溢着幸福的笑容。短短几年时间，这里如何从一个产业缺乏、年轻人流失的“空心村”实现乡村振兴？记者对此进行了探访。
“丰都县委统战部充分发挥统一战线人才荟萃、智力密集、联系广泛优势，为乡村振兴注入‘新力量’。”重庆丰都县委常委、统战部部长谭成勇说，“我们组织重庆欧美同学会青年委员会组建乡村振兴‘鸿鹄计划’团队，用三年时间全面帮扶龙河镇洞庄坪村，形成示范效应，发挥教育和人才优势，为归国留学人员参与乡村振兴探索新路径。”
2021年10月，重庆欧美同学会青年委员会会长、作家徐鹏作为调研组组长，带领委员会骨干成员来到洞庄坪村调研。初来此地，他就被这里的优美生态所吸引。但徐鹏发现村里年轻人多数外出务工、留守儿童多，仅靠捐款难以推动乡村振兴。
“洞庄坪村有山有水，如果把这些自然资源利用起来，形成产业一定能帮助这里长久振兴。”后来徐鹏又独自深入该村六次搜集资料，与调研组一起完成了三万五千字的调研报告。他认为，乡村振兴，产业和教育是关键。要在产业和教育帮扶上下真功夫、办实在事，利用当地自然资源形成产业，让村里的孩子们有更多机会和外面的世界互动，才能给乡村振兴注入源源不断的源头活水。
徐鹏联合中国致公党重庆市委会与重庆欧美同学会，发起乡村振兴“鸿鹄计划”。该计划从产业发展、美丽宜居，教育提升，文化挖掘入手，以农文旅融合发展推动一产、二产、三产有机融合，在洞庄坪村建成集以主题民宿、文化体验、乡村度假、地方美食、农耕研学等于一体的凤鸣湾田园综合体综合资源平台，通过当地农民参与生产、村集体土地入股、开发企业出资入股，形成吃住行等多点串联的乡村田野综合生态联结机制，让产业融合使其相互带动、相互促进，形成良性的、可持续发展的田园综合体产业链，全力打造山水文艺新村，推动乡村振兴可持续发展，把洞庄坪村打造成为“山水文艺新村”，乡村振兴“重庆样板”。
乡村振兴，教育先行。2021年11月，徐鹏将自己写作所得的30万元稿费捐给重庆市慈善总会作为启动资金，设立鸿鹄教育基金。在徐鹏带领下，12位海归和教育界人士也加入其中，还共同为洞庄坪村长岭小学的107名孩子捐赠设立了6万元的鸿鹄奖学金，用于学生的专项资助。截至目前，徐鹏已陆续捐出70多万元稿费注入鸿鹄教育基金，近百位留学归国人员和教育人士加入到了乡村振兴“鸿鹄计划”志愿者行列中。
“我们的志愿者大部分都是留学归国人员，他们来自各行各业，不求回报，将自己的青春奉献到乡村振兴的事业中。”徐鹏告诉记者，目前，凤鸣湾乡村振兴田园综合体第一期农耕研学基地项目已进入建设最后阶段，预计今年5月建成投用。在建设过程中，归国留学志愿者们全程参与，当地村民通过参与项目施工，也获取了收益。
“凤鸣湾乡村振兴田园综合体项目一共分三期，具体包括一期农耕研学主题示范区、二期滨河带娱乐区、三期康养休闲区。”徐鹏说，“项目投入使用后，村民将通过在该项目务工、经营农家乐等方式增加收入，吸引外出务工的年轻人返乡就业、创业，洞庄坪村将从此实现长久振兴。”(完)
