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.
【劳动者风采】执着创新的“钢铁玫瑰”******
【劳动者风采】
执着创新的“钢铁玫瑰”
——记山东慧敏科技开发有限公司董事长周惠敏
光明日报记者 任欢 光明日报通讯员 郭晓飞
国务院政府特殊津贴专家，全国五一劳动奖章获得者，全国十大杰出职工、全国先进工作者、全国优秀科技工作者、全国三八红旗手……这是山东慧敏科技开发有限公司董事长周惠敏取得的荣誉。“其实我只是一名普通的钢铁女性。”她笑着说，自己从上大学与钢铁结缘，到工作后做钢铁科研，再到为钢铁发展下海创业，“能够一生与钢铁打交道，被称呼一声‘钢铁玫瑰’，我感到很自豪。”
1977年，为实现当科学家的梦想，周惠敏通过刻苦复习，顺利考入北京钢铁学院，成为金属材料专业的一名大学生。1982年，她大学毕业分配到济钢，后又调入山东省冶金科学研究院，做钢铁表面防腐研究。经过不懈努力，她完成了“金属表面涂刷型磷化”“稀土永磁材料防腐液”等20多个实用项目的研制。其中，1995年“涂刷型钢铁表面磷化技术”被选定为“九五”国家科技成果重点推广计划项目。
因实力突出，周惠敏1995年和1996年连续两次被国家海洋局极地办选定参加南极科考，担任长城站、中山站的防腐工程技术负责人和工程总指挥。“看到考察站经过多年侵蚀已经锈迹斑斑的样子，我心急如焚。”为此，不管是遭遇极端困难天气，还是多次在施工过程中病倒，她都咬牙坚持了下来。“南极的经历，不仅磨炼了我的意志，还让我坚定了要把自己的研究成果更好地产业化、更好地服务社会的决心。”周惠敏说。
2001年，周惠敏放弃“铁饭碗”，在济南高新区成立了山东慧敏科技有限公司，成为济钢控股的子公司。为进一步激发企业活力，她于2003年将公司改制为民营科技企业——山东慧敏科技开发有限公司，走上了执着创新的道路。
“要时刻保持创新意识，让技术创造更多价值！”带着这样的信念，党的十九大以来，周惠敏开始着力解决机械化施工过程中的难题。她带领公司科技骨干研制了新型自动浸涂机，该设备采用特制机械手旋转运行，由气缸带动机械手完成涂料浸蘸等操作。2020年4月，第一台自动浸涂机试制成功，并在宝钢湛江等高辐射覆层涂覆施工项目中得到应用。“结果显示，自动浸涂机不仅提高企业施工生产效率25%以上，还降低了劳动力需求，大大提高了劳动效率。”周惠敏说。
周惠敏表示，近年来，济南高新区产业工人队伍建设改革步入“快车道”，为产业工人队伍建设改革的落实落地提供了坚强保障，“慧敏科技也提出一系列激励举措，不仅完善了技能工人的待遇体系，还可以让技能人才与技术人才、管理人才同步成长”。
“刚柔并济，铮铮铁骨”这8个字，用来形容周惠敏再合适不过。她笑着说：“下一步，我将和公司全体成员一起，为祖国的钢铁事业作出更大的贡献。”
《光明日报》（ 2023年01月12日 04版）
