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.
（新春走基层）泰安非遗李氏糖画亮相塞尔维亚******
中新网泰安2月2日电 (梁犇 陈阳 董文一)“画糖画跟绘画不一样。糖画是用糖来画的，凉了之后非常容易凝固。所以，画糖画的动作要快，每笔之间不能间断。”随着糖液在李然然的手中缕缕洒下，不到1分钟，栩栩如生的飞禽走兽、花鸟虫鱼等形象便呈现在众人面前。
李然然正在熬制糖稀。 陈阳 摄春节期间，在由中国驻塞尔维亚使馆、塞尔维亚共和国政府、山东省文化和旅游厅、贝尔格莱德中国文化中心共同举办的2023塞尔维亚“欢乐春节”系列活动中，山东泰安非物质文化遗产宁阳李氏糖画第六代传承人李然然受邀参加，向海外同胞和国际友人展示了中国的民俗文化和非遗的独特魅力，惊艳了塞尔维亚。
李然然制作的糖画深受塞尔维亚民众喜爱。 受访者供图“当天下着雪，贝尔格莱德的市民们却都很热情，大家伙排着队等待着我制作的糖画，还有几个孩子跃跃欲试，希望自己动手‘创作’，看到咱们中国的传统文化在国外那么受欢迎，我心里也是感到非常自豪。”李然然回忆说。
李然然用装满糖稀的勺子在铁板上作画。 陈阳 摄糖画是一种传统民间手工艺，以糖为材料来进行造型，所用的工具仅一勺一铲。李氏糖画原料主要是白糖和水，不含任何添加剂。李然然作糖画时没有底稿，画稿全在头脑里，制作时执勺在手，舀起铜锅中的糖稀，以腕力带动勺子运行，随意挥洒在光洁的大理石板上，或提、或顿、或放、或收，速度飞快，一气呵成。
“宁阳李氏糖画的主要特征是玲珑剔透，生动鲜活。”李然然告诉记者，她潜心研究糖画精髓，在祖辈风格的基础上进行创新，打破传统单一的线条拉丝糖画，结合中国传统美术的技巧和方法，在原本只有平面造型的传统糖画基础上，创新使用立体、空心等新技术，再搭配各种手法和色彩元素，将平面“零件”拼接出风格各异的立体糖画。
李然然在调整制作好的立体糖画花篮。 陈阳 摄李然然多年来一直致力于糖画技艺的发掘、整理和提升，经常去北京、上海等地文化交流，对全国各地前来学习糖画制作的艺术爱好者都倾囊相授。
2023塞尔维亚“欢乐春节”系列活动中李然然现场表演糖画制作。 受访者供图“能把中国传统文化带到国内外各地，并为大家所喜爱，这让我感到很自豪。我希望李氏糖画能被更多人喜欢并传承下去。”李然然希望通过自己的努力，能让更多人了解、认识李氏糖画，让这项中国传统技艺在传承与创新中发扬光大。(完)
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