广东侨乡信宜大芥菜：寒冬里的“家乡味道”******
中新社茂名1月14日电 题：广东侨乡信宜大芥菜：寒冬里的“家乡味道”
作者 梁盛 陈子楷
在广东侨乡信宜市，大芥菜是名副其实的“网红菜”。“天气越冷越好吃”是大芥菜众所周知的“天性”，而更让众多客居异国他乡的信宜籍乡亲在寒冬里惦记的，是大芥菜的“家乡味道”。
侨港信宜同乡会荣誉会长张权才近日受访时表示，信宜大芥菜又名大青菜，其最突出的特点是体型大、产量高、生产周期短，且信宜独特的地理环境，造就了其肉质鲜嫩，味微苦口甘的特点。其中，钱排镇冬季气候高寒，霜冻期长，加上当地种植使用的多是农家肥，因而种出来的大芥菜味道特好。
出生于信宜钱排镇云开村的张权才说，小时候村里的生活缺油少肉，乡亲们平时吃得最多的下饭菜就是清炒大芥菜。如今大家的生活水平提高了，通常会将大芥菜与腐竹、牛肉、猪杂等食品混炒，“腐竹炒菜梗”便是当地有名的农家菜，口味极佳，甜脆爽口，是餐桌上的一道美味佳肴。特别是外出的游子回乡省亲时，大芥菜几乎是每餐的首选菜式。
家住钱排镇的菜农程玉兰告诉记者：“自去年12月初以来，大芥菜经历了数次寒潮，这种持续低温天气，使得大芥菜特别‘吃香’。近段时间来，随着乡村旅游人气复苏，大芥菜也就成了游客的‘抢手货’。这半个月，我家卖给游客的大芥菜就超过了500公斤，收入大约5000元人民币。”
据程玉兰介绍，大芥菜盛产于冬季，生长环境气温要求较低，而且气温越低长得越快越旺。一般是10月份种植，一个月后就可以分梗采摘。在严寒霜冻期未到之前，大芥菜的味道一般，经历霜冻后的大芥菜，味道尤佳。除了清炒、拌炒，大芥菜还可以晾晒成干，以备在缺菜的季节食用，也可以用坛子封存，腌制成酸菜，有生津开胃、增强食欲的作用。
信宜市人大常委会副主任、钱排镇党委书记俞淮竞介绍说，大芥菜的采收期也是当地三华李的赏花期，信宜每年接待的赏花游客数以几十万计，给游客印象最深的，除了李花就是大芥菜，堂食之后游客往往还要捎上几捆带回家。
如今的信宜大芥菜闻名遐迩，还有了“信宜出品”“信字号”品控溯源“身份证”，销售包装也变得“高大上”。据悉，在钱排镇，今年大芥菜的种植面积和产量比上年明显扩增，将为当地千家万户带来一笔可观收入。(完)
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.
