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.
曾光：XBB.1.5不会造成类似第一波的重症高峰****** 央广网北京1月11日消息(记者 雷妍)多地发布最新研判，已度过第一波感染高峰，发热门诊就诊量持续下降。与此同时，XBB.1.5新毒株跃入了人们的视野，这是美国上升势头最快的毒株，已引发美国内超40%的感染病例。 很多人刚从“正阳”“阳康”中缓过劲儿，面对新毒株，不免有些担忧。XBB.1.5毒株危险程度如何？是否会引发我国“第二波感染高峰”？感染新毒株后重症比例如何？面对广大网友的担忧，央广网专访了知名公共卫生与流行病学专家曾光。 变异株近期不会在中国掀起大浪 也不会引发重症高峰 曾光介绍，从全国来看，感染高峰、重症高峰呈现出此起彼伏、逐渐从涨潮到落潮的过程。“这一波疫情的高峰像暴风骤雨一样到来，我也没有想到它来得这么快、这么凶、这么猛。”因此，人们自然会对“第二波”感到紧张和焦虑。 对于XBB.1.5毒株的担忧，很大程度上源于我们对病毒的不了解。曾光介绍，XBB.1.5变异株在美国的占比可能还会进一步上升，但根据研究，感染该毒株后，死亡率并没有随之大幅上升。随着XBB.1.5逐步在美国占据“优势地位”，新冠病毒感染的发病率在增加，但增高幅度不大。曾光说：“这一情况可以给我国认识XBB.1.5提供一个参考。” “我估计变异株在中国不会掀起大浪，至少最近不会。”曾光认为，XBB.1.5能在美国大范围流行，也有美国人群产生的自然免疫正在消退的影响。但目前，我国正在集中出现感染高峰，疫苗免疫、自然感染两种状态相加，会在一段时间内达到一定的群体免疫效果，对国外的变异株不会过分敏感。因此，曾光推测：“XBB.1.5在中国可能会造成一部分传播，但传播速度不会太快，绝不会像第一波时迅速出现感染高峰，也不会出现类似的重症高峰。” 即使有了这种谨慎乐观的判断，曾光仍强调，我们还是要重视实际监测结果，根据结果及时调整防控策略。 流感盛行 警惕流感等流行病与新冠叠加 现在出行方便了，但我们不能放松大意，仍需做好个人防护。曾光提醒，除了避免感染新冠病毒，还要避免感染流感等流行病，警惕病情叠加增加重症风险。 曾光介绍，今年冬季，世界各国都出现了流感的流行高峰。根据我国最近的流感监测结果，今年的流感患病率比去年同期上升了一倍。 流感病毒感染与新冠病毒感染非常相似：通常起病急，一般会发烧3～5天，常达38.5℃以上，并伴有寒战、肌肉酸痛、头痛、咽痛、全身乏力。大多数流感患者能够在1～2周内自行恢复。有些可能会出现肺炎、急性呼吸窘迫综合征、心肌炎、心力衰竭、脑炎等并发症。5岁以下儿童、65岁以上的老人，以及有慢性基础疾病的患者，因流感出现重症的风险较高，是住院治疗的主要人群。 曾光介绍，现有研究显示，流感感染后会打开呼吸道门户，增加其它病原体感染几率。新冠病毒感染也是如此。若两者叠加感染，极易增加重症几率。他举例说，有些人感染过了5天或7天后，突然又开始体温增高，又开始呼吸急促，甚至出现黄痰、绿痰。这种情况可能是多重感染导致的，与“阳康”咳嗽不一样，往往提示有细菌性继发感染，须及时就医，必要时增加抗生素治疗。 最后，曾光强调，现在大家外出旅行、到人流聚集处时，仍需戴好口罩，做好个人清洁与防护，减少传染病发病风险。 彩虹多多地图 |
