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.
国务院联防联控机制:强化新冠病毒感染与基础病共治理念******
【抗疫中,我们众志成城㊽】
当前,我国疫情防控进入新阶段,工作重心从“防感染”转到“保健康、防重症”。
国家卫健委医疗应急司司长郭燕红在近日举行的国务院联防联控机制发布会上表示,新冠病毒感染者,特别是老年人,往往合并一些基础病,同时新冠病毒感染也会加重基础性疾病。因此,第十版《新型冠状病毒感染诊疗方案》强化了新冠病毒感染与基础性疾病共治的理念,不仅要强化新冠病毒感染的治疗,更要对基础性疾病进行对因和对症治疗,通过多学科会诊,促进患者全面恢复健康。
郭燕红介绍,诊疗方案是指导临床医务人员对新冠病毒感染者进行诊断治疗的专业性和技术性规范。第十版诊疗方案规定,根据感染者病情的严重程度,分为轻型、中型、重型和危重型,这更符合临床实际,有利于医务人员对患者病情进行综合研判,并采取综合的治疗措施。
“目前,奥密克戎毒株感染后,总体的致病力是下降的,但一部分有基础病、没有接种疫苗、免疫功能低下的老年人会出现重症,表现为重症肺炎、呼吸衰竭等。”北京大学第一医院感染疾病科主任王贵强介绍,第十版诊疗方案明确,将新冠病毒感染的重症病例定义为由新冠病毒感染导致的肺炎为主要表现的重症病例,其他基础病加重、诱发基础病等,则作为基础病或其他疾病导致的重症病例。对于新冠病毒感染肺炎导致的重症,强调呼吸支持,包括早期的氧疗、俯卧位、气道管理等。
第十版诊疗方案颁布实施后,社会给予了高度关注。郭燕红介绍,第十版诊疗方案的核心理念是对新冠病毒感染按照常规“乙类乙管”的传染病管理方式进行病人管理和救治,充分借鉴了3年来临床救治的宝贵经验。在临床救治方面,不但强调了新冠病毒感染与基础病共治的理念,还强调三点:一是强化关口前移,对于轻症病例也要早期介入,特别是对于一些高龄、合并基础性疾病的患者,更要加强关口前移措施的应用,加强对症和支持治疗,防止轻症转为重症;二是进一步规范重症患者的诊疗,进一步完善了相关预警指标,通过对预警指标的把握,及早对重症患者实施及时的救治措施。对重症患者的氧疗、俯卧位通气等措施都进行了强化;三是坚持中西医结合,特别是注重发挥中医药在临床救治中的独特作用。
(光明日报 记者 金振娅)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)