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.
大山里的“江南舅舅”：直播带货拉动乡愁经济****** (新春走基层)大山里的“江南舅舅”：直播带货拉动乡愁经济 中新网杭州1月18日电(奚金燕 郭弘屹)临近年关，往日宁静的浙西大山深处多了几分喧嚣。从杭州市区开车大约一个半小时，一路绿水青山不绝，行至西径山脚，就到了网络主播何江南的家——临安区高虹镇崇阳村。 冬日的西径山寒风瑟瑟，何江南却在自家的直播间忙得满头大汗，“喜欢吃竹笋的朋友千万别错过这几款笋干、罐头笋和多味笋丝，全部都是临安当地的新鲜竹笋制成……” 镜头外，庭院内，一箱箱竹笋在村民们手中被一一打包，等待送往全国各地。 在崇阳村，几乎家家户户都种植竹笋，竹笋是村民的主要收入来源。“原本山上的竹笋只能由村民拉去市区卖，市场小、成本高，每季收入只有几千块钱。这些年，在直播带货的助力下，村里的竹笋已经不愁销路了。”何江南说。 今年28岁的何江南形容自己是“一个普通得不能再普通的人”，农村出生，考上大学，在大城市做过销售、创过业，三年前短视频火起来了，他又回了出生的地方，当起了短视频博主。 “我最初走的是搞笑视频风格，记录照顾八个外甥和外甥女的生活，这就是‘江南舅舅’这个名字的由来。”何江南告诉记者，“后来家乡丰富的农产品给了我新的灵感。” “山上的新鲜竹笋、自家养的走地鸡、爸妈做的水磨年糕……以前每次人还没到家，口水就止不住了。当时我就下定决心，将来一定要回村创业，把家乡的美味端上全国各地朋友的餐桌。”何江南说。 于是，“江南舅舅”家庭直播间就这样诞生了。“刚开始做直播的时候，我其实什么都不懂，全靠自己一点点摸索，经常自学剪辑到凌晨两三点。”直播、店铺装修、拍产品图、剪辑后期、售后服务……全是何江南自己包揽。  何江南和村民在仓库装货。 受访者 供图2020年，何江南加入了位于杭州的MCN机构无忧传媒，产出的内容越来越多元。后来，高虹镇政府还在双创基地为何江南设置了一个200平方米、配备专业设施的直播间。通过努力，“江南舅舅”现在全网粉丝突破380万人，为乡愁经济转化打开了流量入口。 记者了解到，今年“江南舅舅”直播间已经卖出笋系列产品约10万斤，前不久主推的腊味礼盒销售量也达到百万元。 在直播间镜头前的何江南总是激情洋溢、自信满满，或许很难想象，在最初返乡创业的那段日子，他也曾备受煎熬。 正所谓“每一个创业者都是孤独的”，何江南刚回到村里时，经常能听到质疑的声音。“一个在城市里拿高薪的大学毕业生，放弃一切回村里做什么？” 的确，不仅是村民不理解，就连自己的父母和姐姐也常常动摇思想。“刚开始，每场直播3小时到4小时，结束后全家人都腰酸背痛。如果业绩不好，真的很打击士气。”何江南说。 功夫不负苦心人，经过日复一日的努力，随着“江南舅舅”粉丝数的增长，村民们也渐渐看到了网络的力量，认同了何江南的努力。就像一股风，吹进了崇阳村，激活了一池春水。 “现在直播间条件变好了，越来越多的年轻人选择回到家乡，加入到我们的直播团队。”眼下，何江南不仅让自己家凭借新媒体奔了小康，还带动了村庄23名闲散的劳动力就业，这些村民人均年收入增加了6万元到8万元。 或许，对于乡亲们而言，何江南就是全村的希望。如今，何江南成功助力家乡近百种特产走出大山，走向全国各地，也直接拉动了上百家农户的经济收入。 作为青年党员的何江南去年还当选了杭州市临安区第一届党代表，他感到肩上的担子更重了，“之前也没想过我会走这么远，更多是站在了时代和政策的风口。新的一年，我想继续扎根在这片绿水青山，帮助更多乡亲们留住乡愁，致富不愁。”(完)
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