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.
【寻味中华】一碗头脑酒 盖以避寒风****** 中新社太原2月3日电 题：一碗头脑酒 盖以避寒风 中新社记者 胡健 “那李小二，人丛里撇了雷横，自出外面赶碗头脑去了。”施耐庵在《水浒传》中提到的“头脑”，或许是太原名吃“头脑”最早的雏形。而这个“赶”字，说的就是像刘寿生这样的人。 凌晨五点半，冬日的空气中弥漫着破晓前的寒气，70岁的刘寿生从黑土巷一路骑行20多分钟来到老字号清和元饭店，为的是赶上一碗刚出锅的“头脑”。40多年来，刘寿生的早餐总是与“头脑”相伴。用他的话说，“每天一起床，肚子就开始馋那个味儿”。  清晨，山西省太原市，太原清和元“头脑”制作技艺第五代传承人王和茂为食客舀“头脑”。中新社记者 韦亮 摄刘寿生的早餐标配是“单碗头脑+一两烧麦”，花费40元人民币。相比40多年前的五毛三，价格在涨，量也在变。“过去羊肉的克重是一两二钱五，现在我们加到了一两五。”太原清和元“头脑”制作技艺第五代传承人王和茂说，麻将大小的羊肉块，让不少食客大快朵颐。 每天五点，61岁的王和茂就和徒弟们开始准备“头脑”食材。起锅，待水烧开后依次加入羊肉汤、黄酒、酒糟、煨面，不断搅动锅底直至黏稠、细密。多年来，这是王和茂必须亲力亲为的事。徒弟们把莲藕、山药切好焯水，再将前一天用良姜、黄芪炖煮4小时的羊肉切块，一碗“头脑”的食材就配齐了。  厨师准备着“头脑”食材——山药、羊肉。中新社记者 韦亮 摄六点半，上年纪的“老太原”们拿着号码牌，等候第一锅热气腾腾的“头脑”出炉。一碟腌韭菜做引子，把着碗边吸溜一口，辅以二两黄酒，一股暖流从口腔灌入全身。再拿勺子舀一块煮得软烂的羊肉，夹一颗油滋滋的羊肉烧麦，蘸少许山西老陈醋，肉香四溢，回味良久。 除了《水浒传》描述的“赶碗头脑”，明代朱国桢《涌幢小品》中也提到：“凡冬月客到，以肉及杂味置大碗中，注热酒递客，名曰头脑酒，盖以避寒风也。”  员工准备着“头脑”食材——腌韭菜。 中新社记者 韦亮 摄在太原“中华傅山园”，有段关于“清初六大师”之一傅山与“八珍汤”的记载：傅山隐居故里山西太原后，母亲一度体弱多病。为治母病，傅山选用羊肉、长山药、莲藕、煨面、黄酒、黄芪、良姜、韭菜八种食材，研制出“八珍汤”供母食用。其母多年食用此药膳，不但治好了病，且日益身强体壮。后来，傅山将“八珍汤”传授给一家回民饭馆，并易名“头脑”，“清和元”的名字也是从那时而来。 从头一年的白露到第二年立春，是喝“头脑”的季节，也是78岁的李春生最忙的日子。他是国家级非物质文化遗产“中医养生·药膳八珍汤”的传承人，1962年便开始在清和元饭店工作，2005年至今，在中华傅山园膳食院从事“中医养生·药膳八珍汤”制作工作。  食客们在太原清和元排队购买“头脑”。 中新社记者 韦亮 摄“我刚工作那会儿，在清和元喝‘头脑’就要排长队，一个是买票的队，一个是取餐的队，无论刮风下雪，人们热情高涨。”李春生说。做了一辈子“八珍汤”的李春生如今已有七八十个徒弟，他们散布在山西大大小小的饭店，传承着这门技艺。 在王和茂的记忆里，清和元最鼎盛时期，一早上能卖出1000碗“头脑”。如今，王和茂正打算成立“头脑”制作技艺大师工作室。“傅山先生的技艺，不能断在我们这代手中，未来我还要多收徒弟，将它继续传承下去。”(完)
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