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.
“土方”泡药酒?当心中毒造成肝损伤******
文/羊城晚报记者 薛仁政 通讯员 韩文青
过年,有些人会拿出珍藏的药酒来喝,但如果不谨慎地选择药材或者胡乱地泡药酒饮用,会对身体造成伤害。广州医科大学附属第一医院介入科熊斌主任提醒市民,不要在街边或地摊上购买“土药材”泡酒饮用,以防“中毒”,“临床当中遇到不少这种药物性肝损的患者,特别是老年人更要警惕,如果出现腹胀腹痛、皮肤变黄等症状,要及时就医。”
喝了一年“土三七”
导致急性肝损伤
68岁的张大爷身体硬朗,两年前去外地旅游时,在地摊上购买了一种药材“土三七”,据说可以缓解疲劳、活血化瘀,张大爷回家后拿它泡酒,每天饮用。一年多之后,他总觉得不舒服,吃不下东西,眼睛也越来越黄,时常感到腹胀腹痛,人也没什么力气。张大爷到医院做了一番详细的检查,结果被诊断为急性肝功能损伤,已经出现了明显的腹水,如果不及时治疗,还会有生命危险。
张大爷非常疑惑,自己从来没有发现肝脏有问题,也没有肝炎,怎么肝功能受损了呢?经过医生诊断,这才知道与自己长时间饮用不明配方的药酒有关,是非常典型的药物导致的肝窦损伤,继发门脉高压,医学上称之为“肝窦阻塞综合征”。
据熊斌介绍,肝脏是人体最大的代谢器官,平时服用的大多数药物都要经过肝脏和肾脏代谢,当所用药物剂量过大或时间过长,会造成药物以及代谢产物的蓄积,另外有些药物有较强的肝毒性,稍有不慎就可以对肝脏造成直接的损伤。
街边药材不能买
煲汤泡酒需谨慎
“患者的肝脏已经出现非常明显的灌注不均匀,而且出现腹水,黄疸升高,如果不进行干预,风险很大,我们建议他尽快接受TIPS(经颈静脉肝内门体分流术)手术。”熊斌说道。幸运的是张大爷的手术很成功,当天就已经可以下床活动,术后三天便康复出院了。
熊斌提醒广大市民,不要随意去街边或旅游景点等购买药材,无论是煲汤饮用还是泡酒饮用,长期服用都有可能会出现药物性的肝损伤。如果需要购买中药材进行保健,建议去正规医院或者药店进行咨询和购买,并在医生指导下服药。服用药物后,一旦出现中毒症状,如皮肤、巩膜发黄、腹胀腹痛等不适,一定要及时就医。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)