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.
黄河上游青海循化“菜篮”飘香******
(新春走基层)黄河上游青海循化“菜篮”飘香
中新网西宁2月2日电 题：黄河上游青海循化“菜篮”飘香
作者 李晓娟 李隽
立春将至，在位于黄河上游的青海省海东市循化撒拉族自治县，黄河彩篮蔬菜种植基地的各类瓜果蔬菜的清香扑鼻。
地处黄河、湟水谷地的海东市是青海最大的农业区，粮食生产占全省一半以上，蔬菜供给占全省近一半。
多年来，随着消费水平的不断提高和短途游的火热兴起，来黄河彩篮蔬菜种植基地现场采摘已成为不少民众的过冬仪式感。
每年12月中旬到春节前后，是黄河彩篮冬季温室采摘的旺季，每到周末，种植户魏晋宝的蔬菜大棚里前来采摘的群众便络绎不绝。
“我们老家在甘肃省白银市靖远县，整个村里的人都在全国各地种大棚蔬菜。知道循化这边有温室大棚可以承包我们就过来了。”魏晋宝边整理甜瓜秧苗边告诉记者，循化地处黄河岸边，昼夜温差大，土质较好，所以甜瓜、西瓜的甜度高，在循化的这些年，他的大棚得越来越好了。
甜瓜棚内，翠绿的甜瓜将瓜秧拉低了不少。随意掰开一个甜瓜，咬一口，脆嫩香甜。连皮带瓤都能吃的甜瓜现已成为该基地的采摘“新宠”。
从2017年开始，魏晋宝就在黄河彩篮种植基地里面承包了15个大棚种植蔬菜瓜果。今年，他种植的主要是甜瓜、西瓜和陇椒。甜瓜采摘一斤15元，西瓜一斤8元，每年，魏晋宝的甜瓜都能在温棚里采摘完，西瓜虽是今年第一次种植，但销路根本不用愁。
“当地人喜欢吃水果，冬天来采摘的人也很多，每年12月中旬到来年6月，甜瓜都能一茬接着一茬地采摘。”魏晋宝说。
在黄河彩篮种植基地，像魏晋宝这样远道而来的外地种植户有40多户，还有30户本地种植户，基地长期辐射带动200名村民务工，每人每年增收近2.5万元。
马林芝就是通过务工学到种植技术、积累种植经验后，2019年她和丈夫来到黄河彩篮种植基地承包了10栋温室大棚。每到辣椒种植、采收的旺季，他们就要雇用周边村庄的30名妇女前来务工，帮助他们尽快完成种植或采摘。
“一个人一小时10元钱，不仅他们能挣上钱，我的辣椒也不会耽误好行情。”马林芝说：“以前我们也外出当小工，不稳定，一年最多能挣三四万元，种上大棚后，虽然辛苦一点，但是收入也高一些，离家也近。眼下辣椒已经采收了第二茬，除了采收，她每天的工作还有给辣椒“绕头”。
“要把这个秧子的头绕一圈缠到育苗线上，不然秧子就会掉下来，辣椒就不好结了。”马林芝说。
2022年，为了更好地服务广大种植户，打响“黄河彩篮”农业品牌，黄河彩篮种植基地完成5000米的主干道黑化工程，购置旋耕机、割草机等农机具，完成40栋温棚的旧棚改造工作。
“去年疫情防控期间，蔬菜瓜果都没办法及时运出，我们都特别着急，管委会第一时间联系了相关部门，让我们的蔬菜瓜果卖出去了。”魏晋宝说，现在管委会想方设法牵线搭桥，联系本地“网红”主播过来直播增加知名度，采摘的客流量又多了起来。
如今，拥有600栋日光节能温室、2万平方米智能温室的黄河彩篮已成为名副其实的“菜篮子”，每天从这里运向市场的蔬菜瓜果达2万余斤，每年10个月不间断的蔬菜瓜果产出让黄河岸边的这方水土生机勃勃。(完)
