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.
“舌尖上的罂粟壳”为何屡禁不绝？****** 火锅、羊肉汤、卤制品成添加罂粟壳重灾区 “舌尖上的罂粟壳”为何屡禁不绝？ 在火锅汤料、卤味熟食中添加罂粟壳，几乎已成为不少餐饮从业者为吸引顾客铤而走险的公开秘密。 2月1日，四川攀枝花市中级人民法院公布一起典型案例，米易县一家羊肉汤锅店主余某在羊肉汤里掺罂粟壳，将煮出来的羊肉卖给顾客食用。最终，法院以生产销售有毒有害食品罪，判处被告人余某有期徒刑十个月，缓刑一年。 记者梳理100余起案例发现，火锅、羊肉汤、卤制品等都是添加罂粟壳的重灾区。多数被告人供述称，加罂粟壳在食品中是为了“提味增鲜”“吸引顾客”。值得注意的是，大多数被告人系初犯，犯罪情节较轻，适用缓刑多。有专家曾发文指出，在食品中添加罂粟壳犯罪之所以泛滥，关键在于违法成本过低。 案例： 为了吸引更多顾客 羊肉汤锅加罂粟壳 40多岁的余某家住四川省米易县，他与妻子在当地经营一家羊肉汤锅店，主要售卖羊肉汤锅和羊肉米线等。2021年9月中旬，余某感觉身体不适，刚好店门口来了一位卖中草药的老人，他便叫老人配了两副中药。配完药后，老人告诉余某，在羊肉汤中加入罂粟壳，能够让羊肉汤和羊肉味道更加鲜美。 为了吸引更多顾客，他便花了30元钱，在老人那里购买了3颗罂粟壳。2021年9月21日晚，余某在准备煮羊肉的香料包时，把3颗罂粟壳搓碎后添加在料包里。次日早上，他把添加了罂粟壳的料包放在锅里和羊肉一起煮，然后给顾客食用。 后执法人员将余某售卖的羊肉汤查获并送检，检验出含吗啡143毫克/公斤，检测结论不合格。余某如实供述其在羊肉汤中添加罂粟壳的犯罪事实。 探因： 为何屡禁不止？ 利益驱使、违法成本较低 据悉，罂粟壳属于国家公布的《食品中可能违法添加的非食品物质和易滥用的食品添加剂名单》中的物质，根据最高人民法院、最高人民检察院《关于办理危害食品安全刑事案件适用法律若干问题的解释》的规定，应当认定为有毒、有害的物质。 不容忽视的是，罂粟壳食用后或对人体产生危害。此前，有执法人员向记者介绍，罂粟壳是毒品原植物，里面含有可待因、吗啡等物质，如果长期食用的话，会造成人注意力和记忆力功能衰退，严重时可能对神经系统、消化系统造成损害，出现内分泌失调，甚至导致呼吸停止而死亡。 2021年5月，四川攀枝花市西区，一家羊肉米线店为了招徕顾客，连续两天将家中存放的罂粟壳粉，添加在羊肉汤内供消费者食用，有群众吃了米线之后尿液检测呈现阳性。 违法添加罂粟壳为何屡禁不止？归根结底是利益的驱使。记者梳理相关判例发现，多数犯罪嫌疑人的供述称，加罂粟壳在食品中是为了使其味道更好。他们之所以铤而走险添加罂粟壳，是因为听闻：“在食品中加入罂粟壳能增加食品的鲜味，甚至让人上瘾，增加回头客。” 2018年，《人民检察》发表的《在食品中添加罂粟壳犯罪问题实证分析——以40起案件数据为样本》指出，在食品中添加罂粟壳犯罪之所以泛滥，关键在于违法成本过低。司法实践中，由于“罂粟壳”案件缓刑适用率偏高，再加上判处的有期徒刑刑期有限，大大降低了行为人的惩罚成本。 成都商报－红星新闻记者 江龙 彩虹多多地图 |
