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.
【春运进行时】一路上有你守护，真好！****** 春运，承载着异地游子对阖家团圆、平安祥和的期盼。作为疫情防控新阶段下首个春运，今年的返乡路注定与以往不同。据交通运输部消息，春运期间客流总量预计达20.95亿人次，比去年同期增长99.5%。
热闹起来的车站，人头攒动的大厅，有这样一群人围绕在旅客身边，默默守护他们的返乡路。
今年春运从1月7日开始 至2月15日结束 共40天（新华社记者 毛思倩 摄）
“您能听到吗？坚持住啊！”
1月7日10时13分，河南郑州火车站西广场，在众多旅客踏上归途时，一名年轻男子突然口吐白沫晕倒在地。见状，一旁的志愿者迅速开展急救。
“血压117/70，脉搏68……”急救中，医护人员扶着男子头部，按压人中穴，并清理口中白沫，另一名医护人员则测量他的各项体征，不停呼唤意识。3分钟后，男子渐渐清醒，120急救车也抵达现场。
对倒地旅客进行救治（来源：郑州广播电视台）
原来，现场参与急救的志愿者是郑州市中医院的医护人员，事发时他们正在附近为旅客宣传急救知识、免费测量血压。医护人员表示，患者倒地时出现了牙关紧闭、四肢抽搐的情况，初步判断为癫痫的急性发作，因此采用了检测呼吸、检测心跳等方式进行急救。幸运的是，男子最终恢复了意识。
“一边赶路一边处理事情，包丢了都没发现！”
1月7日，乘坐飞机从天津飞往广州的吴先生拿着自己在春运途中丢失的挎包，再三向乘务员表示感谢。“我一边赶路一边处理事情，包丢了都没发现，多亏了你们，追到候机楼给我送来！”
吴先生找回挎包（来源：北方网）
随着春节临近，民航运输业已进入客流高峰期。当天，天津航空GS7895抵达广州后，乘务员正在进行清舱工作，忽然发现一只遗失在座椅上的男士挎包和一个水杯。包内有1万多元现金、两部手机、若干证件等。
“为不耽误旅客行程，我们立刻奔向廊桥寻找失主。”乘务员小苏说，经过寻找，终于联系到失主吴先生，并将物品归还。直到拿到失物，吴先生都没反应过来，自己随身的挎包被遗忘在了飞机上。
当面清点现金和贵重物品后，吴先生激动地说：“如果这些丢了，可耽误大事了!”
“幸亏有你，要不然我都不知道该怎么补救！”
熙熙攘攘的人群中，几抹靓色格外显眼。在湖南祁阳火车站内，随处可见身着红色、绿色马甲的志愿者，他们中很多都是连续几年参与志愿活动的“老兵”。
唐荣就是其中之一，今年是她第三次参加春节志愿者服务。一早，她就和队友赶到高铁站，迎接第一波返乡旅客。
在拥挤的人群中，石女士有些慌乱,当听到到站广播后她急忙下车，可走到站台前才发现自己下错了站，此时的车门已缓缓关闭。
焦急无助的石女士进入了唐荣视野。唐荣了解情况后，带她第一时间向车站工作人员反映，核验乘车证明后，石女士被安排乘坐就近的一趟列车，继续前往目的地。
“幸亏有你，要不然我都不知道该怎么补救！”临上车时，石女士再三向唐荣表示感谢。
“做志愿者其实很累，但旅客的一句感谢，足以支撑我坚持下去。”在完成了本趟列车的志愿服务后，唐荣静静等候着下一趟进站的列车。
策划：李方舟
整理：董大正
资料：新华社、央广网、红网、北方网
