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.
着眼战略全局 提振发展信心——论贯彻落实中央经济工作会议精神******
经济发展离不开信心的支撑。非常时期，信心比黄金更重要。
“要从战略全局出发，从改善社会心理预期、提振发展信心入手，纲举目张做好工作。”中央经济工作会议把信心放在战略全局的出发点、经济工作的切入点，直面经济领域重大热点问题，如增加收入扩大消费、国企民企平等对待、房地产市场平稳发展、支持平台企业大显身手、营造一流营商环境等作出明确回应和具体部署，体现了强烈的问题意识和鲜明的问题导向,也对提振市场信心、稳定发展预期发挥了“定心丸”作用。
今年以来，需求收缩、供给冲击、预期转弱三重压力持续显现，疫情等超预期突发因素带来严重冲击，中国经济处于艰难时刻。进一步提振发展信心，最重要的就是千方百计改善预期，着力夯实信心根基。通过顶层设计释放积极政策信号，才能在充满不确定性的环境中提供尽可能多的确定性，使广大市场主体更好规划行动路线，以市场活力的强劲复苏、内需潜力的强大释放，为经济回升向好提供最澎湃的动力、最坚实的支撑。这也是“纲举目张”透出的深意所在。
信心，源自经济基本面长期向好的科学判断。历经新时代以来的10年奋斗，我国经济发展达到新高度：2021年经济总量达114.4万亿元，占全球经济的比重上升到18%以上；人均国内生产总值提升到1.25万美元，接近高收入国家门槛；在全球创新指数排名中位列第11，已进入创新型国家行列，一大批重大标志性创新成果引领制造业攀上新高度……对这样体量壮观的经济巨轮，疫情等突发事件的影响都将是阶段性的、短期的、外在的，无论外部如何“千磨万击”，都不会改变既定的目标和航程。
信心，源自稳中求进、全力拼经济的上下一心。为了“把失去的三年抢回来”，近日，多地政府牵头组团、出国“抢单”的消息冲上热搜，激发了全社会复工复产的热情和信心。“政府搭台，企业唱戏”，越是在不确定性和风险挑战较大的时期，越是需要实打实的政策支持，需要地方政府主动作为的服务精神。不少企业的“抢单”成绩，也为整个上下游产业链、供应链注入新的活力。实践证明，以稳应变、以进固稳，上下一心、真抓实干，激发全社会干事创业活力，让干部敢为、地方敢闯、企业敢干、群众敢首创，必将汇聚起最强劲的发展动力，促进经济高质量发展。
历史地看，几十年来，中国经济一次次履险如夷、化危为机，也证明危机之中确实蕴含新的重大机遇。坚定信心、因势利导，就能变压力为动力、化挑战为机遇。这是一条成功的实践经验，也是历史交予我们的重大考验。时势在我！抛却疫情的阴霾，在大有可为的重要战略机遇期里大有作为，我们将继续创造新时代的气象万千！（经济日报评论员）
