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.
晋商故里手艺人手工“滚”元宵30余载 传承地道年味******
(新春走基层)晋商故里手艺人手工“滚”元宵30余载 传承地道年味
中新网晋中2月3日电 题：晋商故里手艺人手工“滚”元宵30余载 传承地道年味
作者 杨静 韩俊媛
元宵节将至，山西省晋中市灵石县静升古镇内一家老字号传统手工元宵店，前来购买元宵的顾客络绎不绝，不时还有游客驻足观看、拍照。
现场，手艺人手拿笸箩，双臂规则摆动，一颗颗小小的元宵在笸箩里不停翻滚着，蘸水、滚制，重复四五遍后，饱含着吉祥、喜庆、团圆的手工元宵便制作好了。
顾客杨丽一边排着队，一边给孩子讲着手艺人制作元宵的步骤，孩子看得目不转睛。“现在很少见传统手工‘滚’元宵了，买点给家人尝尝，原料和制作流程都看得见，吃着也放心。”杨丽说，老字号老味道，马上就是元宵节了，吃到这口软糯清香的元宵，一个团团圆圆的年才算真正过完。
传统的制法，地道的口味，手工元宵现做现卖，口感新鲜，为民众的年味增加甜蜜。 韩俊媛 摄这让几代人念念不忘的传统味道，是传统手工元宵制作手艺人吴百中坚守了30余载的情怀。传统的制法，地道的口味，手工元宵现做现卖，口感新鲜，为民众的年味增加甜蜜。
“磨粉、做馅料、沾水、滚制，少一步都不行。”吴百中介绍，手工元宵制作看着简单，其实是个技术活。“要想元宵好吃，首先得把馅做好。”
“经过炒制的芝麻、花生等捣碎，和白糖一起放入盆中拌成馅料，再制成馅块儿。”吴百中说，自己磨面，不加任何添加剂，这样做成的元宵在沸水里越煮越香，吃起来松软、不粘牙，甜度适中，馅足汁多。
不同于市面上琳琅满目的元宵品种，吴百中制作的传统手工元宵主打黑芝麻馅和五仁馅，馅料全部由他手工制作，每颗元宵都馅料饱满，一口咬下去能清晰看到其中的材料。
“随着时代的发展，元宵制作工艺逐渐实现全自动机械化，虽然市面上的元宵种类越来越多，但传统手工元宵还是备受大家青睐。”每年，吴百中从正月初二就开始现场制作、售卖手工元宵，“一天能卖500袋左右。”
“舍不得丢弃这门老手艺，希望将传统美食文化发扬光大，把传统的味道传承下去。”吴百中说，手工元宵承载着几代人儿时的记忆，吃着传统手工元宵，更能感受到浓浓的年味儿。(完)
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