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.
强推“脱钩”不是正确选项******
最近一段时间,国际社会反对美国“脱钩断链”的声浪愈发高涨。多位国际专家学者在媒体撰文,呼吁美盟友对华政策与美拉开距离,回归正确路径。欧盟委员会负责经济事务的执行副主席东布罗夫斯基斯坦言,“与中国脱钩不是欧盟企业的选项”。这些客观理性的声音再次表明,开放合作仍是历史潮流,互利共赢依然是人心所向,美鼓动对华“脱钩”违逆经济全球化大势,注定失败。
近年来,尽管美国极力挑动“脱钩”,扰乱世界经贸秩序,但国际经贸合作却不断增强。联合国贸易和发展会议数据显示,2021年全球贸易额达到28.5万亿美元,比2020年增长25%,比新冠疫情暴发前的2019年高出13%;2022年全球贸易额预计将达到约32万亿美元的创纪录水平。
中国与世界经济的联系更加紧密。作为全球货物贸易第一大国,2022年前11个月,中国进出口总值38.34万亿元人民币,同比增长8.6%。中国继续保持欧盟第一大贸易伙伴地位。事实证明,世界经济是一个密切联系的整体,企图通过“脱钩”孤立和打击中国的图谋既吃不开,也行不通。
经济全球化发展至今,世界早已形成“你中有我、我中有你”的国际产业分工格局。美国强推“脱钩断链”,只会让更多国家利益受损,影响全球经济复苏。日媒指出,把中国排除在供应链之外将加剧全球通货膨胀。德国智库伊弗经济研究所估计,如果欧盟企业在美国压力下与中国“脱钩”,德中之间贸易额将急剧下降。在最糟糕状况下,德国GDP将降低0.81%,相当于英国脱欧时德国GDP降幅的6倍,这“对德国无异于经济自杀”。
美国不遗余力围堵中国,在坑害世界的同时,必将严重伤及自身。美国商会发布的报告显示,与中国“脱钩”严重威胁美国在贸易、投资、服务和工业等领域的利益:如果对所有中国输美商品加征关税,将令美国经济在2025年前每年损失1900亿美元;美国投资者可能因“脱钩”每年损失250亿美元资本收益,美国GDP将因此损失最多高达5000亿美元。可见,美国将经贸问题政治化、武器化,不仅不能实现“美国优先”,反而使本国企业和经济遭殃。
美一些人哗众取宠式的“脱钩”论调,改变不了中国在当今世界经济中的重要性,也阻挡不了各方同中国加强互利共赢合作的大势。过去10年,中国经济对世界经济增长的贡献总体上保持在30%左右,成为世界经济增长最大引擎。党的二十大和不久前举行的中央经济工作会议都提出要推进高水平对外开放,稳步扩大规则、规制、管理、标准等制度型开放。从长远看,中国经济发展前景是光明的,继续加强与各国经贸合作的态度是明确的,中国新发展将为世界提供更多新机遇。与中国“脱钩”,也就意味着与机会脱钩,与未来脱钩。
世界绝不会退回到相互封闭、彼此分割的状态,各国合作共赢、共同发展才是正道。正如诺贝尔经济学奖得主弗农·史密斯所言:“所有努力扩大贸易的国家都是,而且将一直是赢家。”(郭 言 来源:经济日报)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)