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.
玩梗营销勿碰法律边界****** 玩梗营销勿碰法律边界 黄 骥 何俊强 春节假期前夕，某地市场监管部门在检查中发现，有咖啡店的商品包装上贴有“莲花清温咖啡”标签，执法人员责令该店停止使用该标签并对其立案调查。这是继此前某微商因销售“连花清温茶”被市场监管部门查处之后，又一起因玩梗营销引发的案件。 近来，针对涉疫药品的玩梗营销不时出现。“莲花清温咖啡”“连花清瘟精酿”“布洛芬凉茶”等玩梗商品，曾多次引发关注。总体上看，监管部门的执法行动及时制止了不当行为，妥善维护了市场秩序，也对涉疫玩梗营销敲响了警钟。 或许有人觉得，“玩梗”只图一乐，无伤大雅，“段子”不会成为“案子”。其实不然。上述玩梗营销，涉及疫情防控救治的常用、紧俏药品，主要情形是将药品名称用在食品、保健品的包装上。许多消费者是在应急情况下搜寻、选购这些药品的。当消费者看到与药品名称相同或近似的标记时，通常没有足够的耐心与时间去仔细考察、辨别具体情况，很容易认为这些“玩梗商品”包含特定药物成分，具有类似疗效功能。但实际上，大多数“玩梗商品”与上述药品没有任何关联。 许多玩梗营销在擅自使用知名药品名称的同时，还使用了与该药品高度近似的包装设计，甚至标上“同款配方”“防治新冠”之类的宣传用语，这进一步增加了迷惑性和欺骗性。这种行为与其说是幽默，不如说是打擦边球，很可能导致消费者做出错误的决策，损失金钱且延误治疗。 此外，某些被玩梗的药品名称是医药企业的注册商标和知名品牌，玩梗营销容易侵犯医药企业的商标权益，损害其商业信誉和品牌形象。也有个别玩梗营销真的在食品中违规添加药品，这种行为违反医药产品监管方面的法律规范，严重情况下，甚至可能构成犯罪。 疫情防控救治关系到人民健康与社会安定。不论是“挂羊头卖狗肉”，还是真把药品当食材，对涉疫药品玩梗营销，都可能成为医药资源顺畅流通、合理配置、规范使用的掣肘因素，干扰防疫大局。玩梗营销还可能违反多方面法律规范，在消费者权益、竞争秩序、营商环境、公共健康等多个层面造成危害后果和不良影响。创意不能任意，蹭热度也得适度。严格规制涉疫玩梗营销，确保其遵循法度，既是维护市场秩序的应有之义，也是强化食品药品安全监管和守护人民生命健康的必行之举。 要更加全面、长效地规制和防范相关违法行为，除了罚款、责令停止生产销售等常规执法手段外，还可以考虑运用公益诉讼、惩罚性赔偿、信用惩戒、行业公约等多种法治举措，实现综合惩戒、联动治理。 不少玩梗商品是通过网络推广、销售的，有必要进一步优化互联网平台经营者的管理权责，引导其加强涉疫营销信息的监测审查，以及时、能动、高效的方式屏蔽移除违法产品及其宣传内容。 严惩违法的同时，也有必要为经营者提供更清晰的合规指引。通过发布典型案例、预警信息、出台指导意见等，帮助经营者明确良性创意与不当营销的分界线，不失为降低经营者合规成本，兼顾社会秩序与商业创新的可行之策。（经济日报） 购彩地图 |
