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.
中国商业联合会：2023年消费品市场将较快增长******
中新社北京1月6日电 (记者 闫晓虹)中国商业联合会6日发布“2023年中国商业十大热点展望报告”，梳理中国商贸流通领域的热点趋势。报告称，2023年中国消费品市场有望复苏，实现较快增长。
报告指出，2023年中国商业十大热点之一是：现代流通体系深度联动商业高质量发展。展望未来，流通体系将以高效顺畅为目标，同时参与深耕产业链供应链布局，在流通主体数字化转型、现代物流体系建设、农村流通基础设施完善和流通应急保障能力提升等方面实现新突破。
热点二：促消费政策效应加快释放，消费品市场期待趋稳复苏。2023年，在居民收入稳定增长、营商环境持续改善、住房需求有效满足、大宗消费保持增长、新型消费快速壮大、消费价格稳定可控等有利条件的作用下，中国消费品市场有望加快恢复，全年社会消费品零售总额将实现6%左右的增长。
热点三：全国统一大市场建设加快，现代流通体系支撑要素商品高效流动。
热点四：疫情反复促使商业企业策略转变，政府纾困和企业自救需齐头并进。
热点五：平台经济趋向公平规范有序，线上零售寻求突破与亮点。在平台经济稳步健康发展的同时，网上零售转型的趋势也会持续，电商平台从单纯的“价格战”，转向面对消费者和商家的“服务战”，向高质量发展的方向前进。
热点六：数字化转型进入深水区，商业创新精彩纷呈。新型消费方式不断涌现，露营经济、宠物经济、国潮国货经济、艺术文创消费等将快速增长，持续引领新消费发展。
热点七：流通领域绿色低碳转型持续推进，绿色商业绿色消费渐成主流。
热点八：餐饮业复苏基础尚需巩固，转型升级谋求发展新机遇。数字化智能化技术持续渗透到餐饮业中，继续催生出新业态、新模式。
热点九：农产品市场建设进入高质量发展新阶段，中国式农产品现代化流通全面助力乡村振兴。《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》(RCEP)红利持续释放，成员国农产品商贸合作将增速顺畅，更多中国乡村优质农产品将走向世界。
热点十：商贸物流数字化绿色化协同发展，助力产业链供应链全面升级。以智慧物流为方向的数字化、智能化、绿色化成为物流业当前的变革路径。以技术驱动的数字物流时代已然来临。(完)
