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.
大湾区工程黄茅海跨海通道项目首个主塔封顶****** 中新网广州1月9日电 (蔡敏婕 岳路建)广东省交通集团9日发布消息称,备受关注的粤港澳大湾区工程黄茅海跨海通道项目建设迎来新进展。当天,随着最后一节塔柱混凝土浇筑完成,5座主塔中,关键工程高栏港大桥东塔首个主塔封顶。 黄茅海跨海通道是继港珠澳大桥、深中通道之后,粤港澳大湾区又一跨海通道工程。项目路线全长约31公里,海域段长度约15公里,跨海段设置2座主桥。其中高栏港大桥为主跨700米的双塔双索面全漂浮钢箱梁斜拉桥,双塔总高皆为254.7米。 大湾区工程黄茅海跨海通道项目首个主塔封顶 广东省交通集团供图高栏港大桥设计采用混凝土空间曲面圆端形独柱塔,塔柱截面由圆形渐变至圆端形再由圆端形渐变至圆形,最大直径18米,最小直径8.5米,主塔每一节段的空间造型不断变化,导致需求的模板造型均不相同,主塔塑形难度大、施工工艺繁杂。 为了实现主塔截面空间曲面线形变化,黄茅海跨海通道建设者将整座主塔分为43节分别制作外模,每节外模由24片弧形板片组成,弧形板片又由数块数控造型板拼接而成。其中,项目创新采用了基于BIM模型的数控雕刻系统,将事先画好的图形转化成坐标数据,导入到数控机床中,使机床能够自动地以“毫米级”的误差制作出数控造型板,保证主塔每一节段外模的标准线形。目前,项目已累计完成数控造型板制造21600块。 东塔承建方中交路桥建设有限公司黄茅海通道T3标项目经理曾柯林介绍到:“随着主塔爬升截面尺寸变化,项目通过CNC数控雕刻机切割造型木,精准实现24片弧形板片的裁切或补缝,模板爬架平台也随之增加或减少面板,最终实现了海上小蛮腰空间曲面结构主塔一爬到顶的目标,大幅度降低了爬模施工安全风险”。 相较于每一节塔柱的高精度制造,塔身的混凝土外观质量与美感同样重要。由于曲面塔身更易开裂,黄茅海跨海通道项目成立了主塔攻关小组,开发了基于云端的大体积主动温控系统,使得主塔混凝土浇筑及养护过程中内外温差减小,同时对浇筑后的混凝土采用自动养生喷淋系统与防风帆布覆盖养护措施。 黄茅海跨海通道管理中心工程部经理沈大为表示:“在浇筑混凝土时,加入抗裂纤维、抗裂剂等多种新型抗裂材料,配合养护措施使用,取得了良好的抗裂效果和养护效果,多种举措并行也实现了每节主塔的高品质建造。” 目前,黄茅海跨海通道建设顺利,关键控制性工程黄茅海大桥与高栏港大桥的其余4个塔柱施工全部过200米,预计今年上半年实现全部封顶。项目预计2024年建成通车,建成后,将与港珠澳大桥、深中通道、南沙大桥、虎门大桥,共同组成粤港澳大湾区跨海跨江通道群,助力粤港澳大湾区早日形成世界级交通枢纽。(完)
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