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.
当旅游遇上“非遗”,玩出不一样的“文化味儿”******
在四川崇州道明竹艺村,国家级非遗项目道明竹编与现代建筑设计理念融合建造的“竹里”,持续带动大批游客前往打卡;在南京,作为首批国家级非遗的秦淮灯会在跨年夜“亮灯”,无数游人共赏“火树银花”盛景;一阕昆曲悠扬婉转,一场皮影趣味横生,绚丽的彝族刺绣,精致的木刻版画……元旦假期,迎新贺岁,在各地丰富多彩的文旅活动中,常常可以看到非遗的身影。
在“以文促旅,以旅彰文”的理念指导下,“非遗+旅游”已成为文旅融合发展的重要一环。非遗和旅游的融合,不仅催生了更多独具文化意蕴的旅游产品,创新了旅游业态,丰富了旅游供给,也激活了数量巨大的非遗文化资源,使非遗文化通过旅游市场走进了千家万户。
近日,中国非物质文化遗产保护协会公布2022年全国非遗与旅游融合发展优选项目名录,非遗旅游景区、非遗旅游小镇、非遗旅游街区、非遗旅游村寨4个类型共200个项目入选,其中既有历史悠久的传统村落,也有充满现代气息的城市旅游街区,为非遗和旅游的融合发展树立了典范。
贵州省丹寨县龙泉镇卡拉村的苗族蜡染工坊,村民在画蜡画。新华社发
非遗元素让旅途更有文化气息
走进内蒙古的莫尼山非遗小镇,特色建筑依山而建,泉水潺潺、炊烟袅袅,游客们感受着小桥流水的乡村美景,欣赏着经典的非遗曲艺表演,还有各类非遗文化技艺体验项目深受欢迎。开料、描图、雕刻……游客们拿着工具按照老师的指导认真制作皮画。“蒙古族皮艺制作项目每一个环节都有学问,能来这里亲身感受,让我们此行更加有意义。”“这个非遗景区融合了民俗体验、知识科普,是个很值得去的地方。”在现场参与体验活动的游客说。
今年元旦假期,旅游市场升温回暖,为了给远道而来的游客们带来更具文化味儿的旅游体验,各地将跨年迎新活动和本地非遗传统文化结合起来。元旦假期,广东桂城接待了超57万游客,其中灯湖西街的非遗技艺“打铁花”表演格外惊艳,给游客带来一场震撼的视觉盛宴;在重庆的跨年夜市,精美的缠花艺术品吸引众多游客驻足;在四川德昌,原生态歌舞表演、特色服饰、葫芦笙表演、火草织布等非遗项目展现了傈僳族的独特风情。
河北省丰宁县非遗布糊画就业工坊,手工艺人在制作兔年主题布糊画。新华社发
还有越来越多景区引入了非遗项目,打造非遗展馆、非遗街区、非遗长廊等,通过展演、展销以及各类体验和游玩项目吸引游客,以提升景区的文化品位和旅游品质。“旅游不仅是为了欣赏名川大山,更是为了体验不同地区的生活气息、人文风情,非遗与人们世代相承的生活方式息息相关,亲身传习体验让旅途更有收获、更为难忘。”一位旅游博主分享道。
在传统观光旅游已经难以满足旅游者消费需求的时代,人们更期待在旅游过程中感受文化熏陶,满足乡愁情怀。传统技艺、民俗文化、民族节庆,独具地域特色的非遗项目让游客耳目一新。非遗旅游景区、非遗旅游小镇、非遗旅游街区、非遗旅游村寨不断涌现,成为越来越多人愿意专程前往的新兴旅游目的地。
“非物质文化遗产是旅游资源的大户,在种类上、跨度上、数量上、可变性上,都为旅游供给和旅游业态提供了不会耗尽的资源。”中国社科院旅游研究中心秘书长金准在采访中对记者说,“旅游业不断推陈出新、发展变化,由此产生产品和业态的深度,生发新的增量空间,非物质文化遗产的深度利用,为旅游业的发展提供了更广阔的空间。”
在金准看来,非物质文化遗产是文旅融合的重要接口,这一部分的文旅融合,起步最早、结合最深,积累了丰富的经验,为市场所认可,是推动文旅融合发展的重要依托。非遗项目的文化意蕴与旅游融合成为带有浓郁地方特色的旅游项目,将彰显多元化的地域文化和传统价值,推动了旅游产业的繁荣发展。
2022年文化和自然遗产日海南省宣传展示暨第二届三亚南山非遗节展示多个非遗项目。新华社发