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.
台湾一女子临检遭压制在地 警员被判两罪获刑******
中新网2月1日电 据台湾“中央社”报道,1日,台湾一女子詹某玲遭中坜警员压制逮捕案在桃园地方法院宣判,警员犯公务员假借职务上之机会强制罪、公务员假借职务上之机会剥夺他人行动自由罪,各处有期徒刑4个月、6个月,前者可易科罚金。
詹某玲2021年4月22日遭桃园市警察局中坜分局一名叶姓警员盘查,但拒回答且骂警员,被当街压制、后依妨害公务罪嫌逮捕;詹某玲则认为警员滥权、执法过当也提起诉讼。
双方2021年都获检方不起诉处分,不过詹某玲事后提起再议,经台湾“高等检察署”发回,检察官认为叶姓警员临检盘查不符规定,涉犯公务员假借职务上之机会妨害自由罪嫌重大,去年起诉叶姓警员。
桃园地方法院今天(1日)公布判决结果,经勘验警员记录器画面,女老师当时没有滥用毒品后精神异常、即将犯罪等迹象,也没有攻击、冲撞警员或加速逃逸的行为。
判决指出,在此情况下,警员以身体阻挡女老师离去,要求等待支援警力到场并到派出所查验身份,已构成以强暴方式妨害女老师的行动自由权利。
判决指出,警员对女老师违法拦检,已先行触犯刑法强制罪,在此事件脉络发展之下,女老师辱骂警员“真的很蠢”等语,属于捍卫自己权利并合理评论公务员违法行为之言论,不构成妨害公务罪,警员也无从以现行犯逮捕女老师。
判决指出,警员将女老师压制在地进而上铐逮捕,均难认定是合法执行职务行为;警员违法拦阻盘查在先,还借口妨害公务违法逮捕女老师,除造成女老师损失外,也严重影响民众对警员信赖,且警员犯后未能确实表达悔意,无法取得女老师的谅解或赔偿损失,犯后态度难谓良好。
桃园地院宣判,叶姓警员犯公务员假借职务上之机会强制罪,处有期徒刑4个月,如易科罚金,以新台币1000元折算1日;又犯公务员假借职务上之机会剥夺他人行动自由罪,处有期徒刑6个月。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)