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.
赴一场工美与非遗的盛宴******
展品《大吉图》(皮影)
薛宏权
中国工艺美术馆、中国非物质文化遗产馆供图
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1月1日起,中国工艺美术馆、中国非物质文化遗产馆恢复开放。同时,四场新展览“祭如在——中国艺术研究院藏明清祖容像展”、“松纳柴器——景德镇陶瓷柴窑烧造技艺展”、“影戏人间:陕西非遗皮影展”、“天地人文——刘恒甫公共艺术展”也同步与观众见面。
祭祖是中华民族源远流长、丰富深厚的传统,孝老爱亲、慎终追远、敬宗睦族更是自古传承的家族美德。祖容像作为祭祖文化的象征物,是维系家族情感的物质载体,承载着丰富的历史与人文内涵;同时,因在绘制时注重如实反映祖先样貌及所穿服饰,祖容像也是中国人物绘画的集大成者。
本次“祭如在——中国艺术研究院藏明清祖容像展”中展出的中国艺术研究院明清祖容像藏品,数量可观、质量上乘,绝大多数藏品为首次展示。其中最引人注目的是一套较为完整的“多罗顺承郡王家族祖容像”,自第七世多罗顺承忠郡王诺罗布至十二世多罗顺承简郡王伦柱共六代郡王、五代王妃,共计11幅作品。不仅可以帮助我们了解清代王府祭祖规制,也可通过作品的不同绘制风格了解清代北方祖容像绘制技法和样式的演变。
景德镇的千年窑火,烧出了中国陶瓷的灿烂、照亮了世界陶瓷大道。千百年来,窑炉营造和烧造技艺赓续精华、创新不辍。在当代,景德镇的陶瓷工匠通过对窑炉不断研究、探索、改进、试烧,形成了名为“松纳柴器”的艺术柴窑。这种窑炉既能复烧各历史时期的景德镇陶瓷作品,也能充分满足当代各种陶瓷艺术的烧制条件,可以生动展现“入窑一色出窑万彩”的神奇魅力。
“松纳柴器——景德镇陶瓷柴窑烧造技艺展”中呈现的百余件作品,由几十位中国工艺美术大师、国家级非遗传承人、中国陶瓷艺术大师、教授、省级工艺美术大师等创作,使用“松纳柴器”窑炉烧制而成,展示了当代艺术陶瓷和柴窑的历史内涵和时代价值。
2011年11月27日,联合国教科文组织宣布,中国皮影戏列入《人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录》。有着“一口叙说千古事,双手对舞百万兵”美誉的皮影戏历经千年承传流变,是中华优秀传统文化的重要组成部分。中国皮影戏集美术造型、文学剧本、音乐唱腔、表演技艺于一体,有着较为完整的艺术体系、鲜明的民族特色和高度的美学成就,反映着中国人特有的审美观念、思想情感和精神追求。
陕西是中国皮影戏的发祥地之一。陕西皮影戏影响几乎遍及陕北、陕南及关中各地,深受当地民众喜爱,是近代陕西多种地方戏曲的前身。皮影雕工至臻精美,镂空与留实巧妙搭配,造型优美生动、有韵有势、繁简得宜、虚实相生,极富特色;唱腔类型多样,碗碗腔细腻婉转、阿宫腔清悠秀婉、弦板腔明快清脆、老腔刚直高亢,影响广泛深远。本次“影戏人间:陕西非遗皮影展”是“中华瑰宝”系列展览的又一次全新呈现,共展出陕西非遗皮影相关展品约200件。(黄敬惟)