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.
积极创新参与宏观经济治理的方式******
作者:王欣
据报道,2022年国内有7个城市GDP总量进入2万亿俱乐部,分别为上海、北京、深圳、重庆、广州、苏州和成都。综合分析可以发现,这些城市不仅经济建设取得了显著成就,生态环境保护工作也交出了令人满意的答卷。围绕经济高质量发展,这些城市在发挥生态环境保护的引领、优化和倒逼作用方面,已经做出了不少有益的探索和实践。
比如,江苏省苏州市的开发强度高、资源约束紧、转型任务重,以占全国0.09%的国土面积创造出了全国约2.1%的经济总量,而且生态环境质量依然保持稳中向好、持续改善态势。究其原因,就在于充分发挥生态环境保护优化经济发展的作用,做好了经济与生态的“双面绣”。近年来,苏州整治“散乱污”企业(作坊)4.7万余家,为引进高产出、低污染的项目腾挪了发展空间,抓住治污攻坚与高质量发展互促互利的契合点,形成了一招多赢的局面。
实践证明,在引领、优化和倒逼经济高质量发展,促进经济社会发展全面绿色转型方面,生态环境保护工作是有力的抓手,也是重要的推手。关键是务必坚持因地制宜、因时制宜,坚持问题导向、结果导向,全面研究、积极创新生态环境保护参与宏观经济治理的方式、手段和途径。
首先,增强系统观念。生态环境保护参与宏观经济治理是一项涉及面广、复杂程度高的长期性系统性工程,绝不能局限于传统思想上的污染防治工作。要统筹产业结构调整、污染治理、生态保护、应对气候变化等,协同推进降碳、减污、扩绿、增长,在多重目标中寻求最佳平衡点,既要“清澈见底”也要“鱼翔浅底”,既要“源头治污”也要“源头清洁”,既要“降碳”也要“增汇”。因此,要认识属地生态环境自然禀赋优势,也要紧盯生态环境保护工作短板,充分发挥生态环境保护的引领、优化和倒逼作用,扬长补短,不断增强生态环境保护融入宏观经济的深度和广度、推动经济社会绿色转型的力度和速度。
其次,强化攻坚意识。当前,对于生态环境保护参与宏观经济治理、促进经济与环境协同发展,有的人思想认知上还不够全面深刻,甚至仍有误区,而且现实工作中也有这样那样的困难和矛盾。加上治污攻坚的成效尚不够稳固,在推动绿色发展的道路上仍有不少难关要过,因此,务必保持战略定力,面对高污染高耗能产业更新换代等推进难度较大的工作任务,要统筹各部门政策和力量,密切协同。该依法倒逼的绝不后退一步,该帮助优化的要主动上前一步,该鼓励引领的要争取先人一步,确保步步为营。
第三,突出创新思维。统筹经济社会发展和生态环境保护,以实现减污降碳协同增效为总抓手,更加自觉地推进绿色发展、循环发展、低碳发展,没有现成的经验做法可供参考和借鉴,况且各地经济社会发展和生态环境保护水平不同,面对的形势和问题也各有所异。因此,务必结合实际,根据属地经济社会发展和生态环境保护的新情况新特点,适时更新理念、创新思维,不断丰富生态环境保护深度参与宏观经济治理的新方式、新手段。比如,国家相继出台了支持绿色发展的财税、金融、投资、价格政策和标准体系,如果简单地照搬硬套,难免出现“水土不服”等问题,这就需要各地进一步完善和细化相关举措,更好地发挥绿色金融的激励与约束作用。(王欣)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)