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.
茶与咖啡“走”到一起，给我们带来哪些启示******
中新网蒙特利尔12月8日电 茶和咖啡，往往被人们视为不同饮食习惯或不同文化的代表。但在中国，有这样一个地方，茶与咖啡“走”到了一起。
当地时间12月7日，COP15第二阶段会议“坚持人与自然和谐共生 共建清洁美丽世界”边会在加拿大蒙特利尔举行，边会由生态环境部环境与经济政策研究中心、中国新闻社主办，中国新闻网承办。边会期间举办了“圆桌对话：茶与咖啡的对话”。
“坚持人与自然和谐共生 共建清洁美丽世界”边会举办“圆桌对话：茶与咖啡的对话”。尹灵 摄“其实普洱不仅仅因普洱茶闻名海外，在上世纪八十年代，当地的居民也开始种咖啡。”世界经济论坛热带雨林及生态文明项目大中华区负责人朱春全介绍，经过多年产业培植，普洱许多农民既种茶又种咖啡。他们在冬天收获咖啡果，春天采茶。普洱也成为了中国茶乡中的“咖啡之都”。
世界经济论坛热带雨林及生态文明项目大中华区负责人朱春全在边会圆桌对话发言。尹灵 摄在克莱恩斯欧洲环保协会(英国)北京代表处首席代表龙迪看来，茶和咖啡的和谐共存，是全球贸易的结果，更是不同文化和文明互相扶持、共同发展的典范。
“同样，人类和自然是相互依赖的。我们共处同一个人类命运共同体中。开放和包容的世界也是人与自然和谐共生的世界。”龙迪认为，茶和咖啡皆为大自然的馈赠。
克莱恩斯欧洲环保协会(英国)北京处首席代表龙迪在边会圆桌对话发言。 尹灵 摄作为一位在中国北京定居的荷兰人，龙迪每天早晨都需要一杯咖啡来唤醒自己。同时，在中国生活的经历也让他明白了品茶的方式。“中国茶品众多，制茶工艺先进，让我大为惊叹。”他说。
EDF+商业，韧性粮食与林业主任凯蒂·安德森坦言，无论旅行到哪里，自己都能通过每天的咖啡或茶与当地文化联系起来。“这提醒了我们，彼此之间的共同联系，以及我们与这个给我们提供咖啡和茶的星球的共同联系，同时地球也面临着气候变化、生物多样性丧失和森林砍伐等重大挑战。”
EDF+商业，韧性粮食与林业主任凯蒂·安德森在边会圆桌对话发言。 尹灵 摄凯蒂·安德森认为，保护生物多样性是一项共同的责任，各方应共同努力保护地球，求同存异、携手合作。“我们需要依靠文化的多样性和包容性。在这条道路上，我们正朝着构建人类命运共同体、促进全球可持续发展的方向迈进。”
“我们手中的提神饮品代表了整个产业链，以及从事不同工作的人——从云南山村的茶农到大型零售市场的销售人员。”凯蒂·安德森指出，为实现可持续农业这一目标所作的努力，就是向着构建人类命运共同体、推动全球可持续发展不断迈进。
值得一提的是，在乌龙茶和红茶的发源地中国福建武夷山，某种程度的“可持续”已成为现实。
武夷山市人民政府办公室周洪舰在边会圆桌对话发言。尹灵 摄武夷山市人民政府办公室的周洪舰介绍，当地大力推广生态茶叶种植，减少农药化肥的使用，利用生物多样性做到绿色种植。“环境保护越来越好了，这带动了茶叶的品质增加，也增加了茶农的收入。”
周洪舰说，中国的“茶”字，拆开来看是“人在草木之间”，这就是人与自然的完美结合。(完)
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