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.
独特手法呈现汉字之美：访香港“双钩”书法家张保声****** 中新社香港1月31日电 题：独特手法呈现汉字之美：访香港“双钩”书法家张保声 中新社记者 刘大炜 书法是中华文化特有的艺术表现形式，挥毫泼墨、笔走龙蛇间彰显汉字独特韵味。没有先进印刷术的年代，为保留书法家真迹，“双钩廓填”的书法形式应运而生，并演变为一种书法学习方法。在位于香港龙尾村的家中，香港“双钩”书法家张保声近日接受了中新社记者的采访。  香港“双钩”书法家张保声最近接受了中新社记者的采访。他表示，希望更多年轻人对“双钩”书法感兴趣，传承中国传统文化。 中新社记者 刘大炜 摄“双钩”书法始于南朝，盛于唐宋，是一种用单线直接写出某种书体的空心字。张保声告诉记者，南朝时没有印刷技术，为了能使名家书法作品得以流传，书法家就按作品原样勾勒出空心字，然后再填墨，让观者得到近似真迹的作品，如《兰亭集序》《万岁通天帖》《平安帖》等皆由唐宋名家以此方式保留真迹。 出生于“古建筑之乡”广东汕尾的张保声，受身为石刻、微型山水盆雕民间艺人的外祖父，以及从事古建筑、擅丹青的祖父影响，浸润在传统文化氛围中，从小就喜欢涂鸦。初次接触“双钩”书法，是受其外祖父的熏陶。“因我小时候顽皮淘气，只有在写书法时才得到外祖父称赞和奖励。” 张保声说，之所以喜欢“双钩”书法，还有一个原因是其“书写方便，可就地取材”。无论树枝抑或随便一支笔，都可写出任意大小的“双钩”字。经过对大家名帖年复一年的临摹，张保声终于练就了一手“脱影双钩”(即不用临摹便可写成)的技法，形成了自己独特的书法风格。 常言道“见字如晤”。张保声笔下的字，时而飘逸而出，时而劲风斗转，时而连绵不断。不论任何字体，他都熟稔于心，顷刻间一幅“双钩”书法跃然纸上，用独特手法呈现汉字的美感。 1979年，张保声移居香港，从事建筑行业工作。虽然工作繁忙，他仍未放弃对“双钩”书法的热爱。经多年孜孜不倦的研习，张保声在保留“双钩”书法艺术美感的基础上，融各家之所长，不断推陈出新。 在张保声看来，要传承作为国粹的书法艺术，最好的方式是在传续中创新。如今，他的“双钩”书法不仅从最初的整体“双钩”演变出了叠字“双钩”、汉字合体“双钩”，还吸收中国山水画的独特韵味，将书与画结合，创造出“字中有画”的“双钩”书法。 在港生活多年后，张保声对香港开放包容的文化氛围情有独钟，更深谙香港中外文化艺术交流中心的新定位。近些年，张保声不仅在香港举办展览以推广“双钩”艺术，还远赴重洋到美国、东南亚等地设展，以期让更多人了解“双钩”书法、了解中国文化。每次展览，他的艺术作品都会令观众倍感震撼。 作为“双钩”书法技艺的传承人，张保声更希望年轻人对“双钩”书法感兴趣。他对记者说：“最近几年，我也参加了一些‘非遗进校园’的项目，向香港的青少年学生普及‘双钩’书法等，希望把更多知识传播给下一代，让他们好好认识中国的国粹、了解老祖宗传下来的东西。”(完)
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