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.
中国历史文化名城山西新绛的“非遗年味”******
(新春走基层)中国历史文化名城山西新绛的“非遗年味”
中新网运城1月15日电 题：中国历史文化名城山西新绛的“非遗年味”
作者 杨佩佩
木版年画、澄泥砚、面塑、剪纸、宫灯……临近春节，中国历史文化名城山西省运城市新绛县“非遗年味”渐浓。当地手艺人或印、或刻、或捏、或剪、或雕，一件件作品跃然指尖，民众感受着过年的乐趣。
连日来，山西绛州木版年画传承人吴百锁异常繁忙，春节订单不断，他每天从清晨开始印制年画直到深夜。“虽然忙碌，但这浓浓的年味让我乐在其中。年画最能体现年味，今年的订单除门神、‘福’字外，福兔年画也很受民众喜爱。”
福兔年画。 刘鹏 摄用棕刷饱蘸墨汁，均匀刷往雕刻好的木版，再将一张红纸轻轻覆在其上，然后用趟子从中心部位向四周趟平，自红纸一角轻轻提起，一只兔子跃然纸上。吴百锁介绍，作品中的主要元素是新春生肖“兔”，还加入白菜、钱币、元宝等元素，以此传递新春祝福。
“每天能制作300余幅年画，家里人帮忙包装、邮寄等，为即将到来的春节增添年味。”吴百锁说，赶制订单之余，他还要忙着参加多场春节活动，现场为民众制作木版年画，展示这一非遗技艺。
山西绛州木版年画传承人吴百锁制作木版年画。 刘鹏 摄同样忙碌的支藕叶是国家级非物质文化遗产项目新绛面塑传承人。记者在支藕叶的家中看到，她拿出一块提前做好的面团，经过指尖的捏、搓、揉、压、划等，顷刻之间，一只栩栩如生的兔子便制作完成。
面塑是流行于黄河流域的中国民间传统艺术之一。据记载，自宋代起，新绛县就有制作面塑的传统。每逢传统佳节，这里家家户户都会依照当地习俗，用上等小麦磨成面粉，制作面塑。
经过指尖的捏、搓、揉、压、划等，顷刻之间，一只栩栩如生的兔子便制作完成。 武俊杰 摄现年70岁的支藕叶从小便跟着家人学习面塑技艺，至今已有50余年。其间，她经过不断学习，在传统基础上进行创新，题材更加多样化。为迎接兔年春节的到来，支藕叶创作《兔年吉祥送百财》。
“兔子、鱼、白菜等元素都有很好的寓意，通过面塑作品为民众送上祝福，迎接新春。”支藕叶说，临近春节，当地的面塑手艺人都很忙碌，其中有很多是自己的徒弟，让她很是欣慰。
为迎接兔年春节的到来，支藕叶创作《兔年吉祥送百财》。 武俊杰 摄进入腊月以来，这座历史文化名城的宫灯制作技艺传承人冯怀林同样订单不断。在他看来，宫灯是每一个新春的等待与绽放，是历史留给现代民众的一种财富。
宫灯又称宫廷花灯，始于东汉、盛于隋唐，主要是以细木为骨架，镶以绢纱和玻璃，绘以各种寓意美好的图案。绛州宫灯在此基础上，融入剪纸、青花瓷等传统艺术元素，以适应当代人审美需求。
一把钝刀将飞禽走兽雕刻得栩栩如生，一支秃笔把传统技艺展现得淋漓尽致。 武俊杰 摄在冯怀林的家中，屋内院外随处可见挂着的宫灯，一把钝刀将飞禽走兽雕刻得栩栩如生，一支秃笔把传统技艺展现得淋漓尽致。冯怀林介绍，宫灯制作包括选材、设计、推平抛光、镂空、打磨等20余道工序。
20余年来，冯怀林在传承清代宫廷技艺的同时，掌握绘画、书法等多种技艺，并进行融合创新。他的宫灯用料考究，工艺精湛，因此慕名者众多。“春节前后最是忙碌，有很多来自山西、陕西、北京、浙江等地的订单。”冯怀林说，希望宫灯能够“点亮”新的一年。(完)
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