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.
两岸夫妻南京开咖啡小馆：“浓浓人情味是本店主打”******
中新网南京12月16日电 题：两岸夫妻南京开咖啡小馆：“浓浓人情味是本店主打”
中新网记者 朱晓颖
天色渐暗，城市里人车汇集，楼宇中灯火点亮。在南京闹市区珠江路商业综合体一角，西安小伙张可和台湾姑娘黄匀柔“高雄Hi～Five亥午”咖啡新店飘出咖啡香。
“欢迎光临，想喝点什么？有热乎乎的台湾冬瓜拿铁哦……”黄匀柔轻声细语，询问着到店顾客。
店里，名叫“糖糖”的宠物犬摇尾巴“求撸”，暖色系灯光照射在琳琅满目的蛋糕上。黄匀柔一边制作咖啡，一边熟练地为顾客打包甜品。
“我们店除了卖咖啡、甜品，‘主打’浓浓的人情味，客人们可以随时来唠嗑、拉家常。”张可向中新网记者介绍。
这对年轻的两岸夫妻，在南京结缘、成家、定居，如今开出的夫妻店已是第二个店面。
咖啡店里的微型手办。 朱晓颖 摄黄匀柔是台湾高雄人。过去，她的父母在大陆投资经商。她在南京上完小学、初中后，到台湾读高中、大学。大学英语专业毕业后，她回到南京，曾在一家培训机构做英语老师。
张可是陕西西安人，从南京东南大学生物医学工程系毕业后，留学法国。回到南京后，曾在一家医疗公司短暂做过医疗仪器开发的工作，后在一家外企担任工程师职务。
两个人的结识是由于黄匀柔母亲的一次偶遇。“小柔的妈妈偶然碰到我，觉得我不错，问我第二天有没有时间和她姑娘见个面、喝咖啡，但我那天和别人约好去踢球，但最后也没去踢球。”张可耿直的言语让人忍俊不禁。
经过黄匀柔母亲撮合，两人渐渐熟悉起来，互生好感。2017年，两人喜结连理，步入婚姻的殿堂。
“理工男和文科女的搭配，过日子不累。”对此黄匀柔有切身体会。做英语老师那段时间，教育工作事项繁杂，需要付出耐心和细心，精神压力比较大。对此张可发挥自身优势，条分缕析，给出有效建议。
甜蜜的小两口在2019年突遇变故，张可身患重病。黄匀柔清晰记得，张可突发疾病的当晚是个周六。她刚刚进入教室准备上课，就接到张可朋友打来的电话，赶到医院得知，爱人突发脑溢血，于是紧急手术。
那段时间，黄匀柔在医院日夜看护。为更好贴身照顾丈夫，她辞去工作，协助丈夫走上康复之路。“在康复机构的日子确实难捱，但他很坚强，主动配合康复训练，反倒给我们很大的精神动力。”
在此期间，为给丈夫制作健康饮食，黄匀柔重拾了曾经系统学习的烹饪、烘培技能。
张可的情况日益好转，黄匀柔的烘焙技能也日益见长，干脆，二人开了咖啡店。“做老师时我的英文昵称叫‘CAKE’(蛋糕)，没想到最后真的在做CAKE。”黄匀柔笑着说。
咖啡店起名“高雄Hi～Five亥午”是张可的主意。“‘亥’‘午’是取我们两个人的生肖，‘Hi～Five’也是合拍之意”。
户外气温已降至零下。天气寒冷，进店买咖啡、甜品的客人络绎不绝。人们哈着气走进咖啡小馆，端着暖暖的咖啡满意而去。(完)
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