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.
首套房贷利率跌破4% 买房时机来了?******
中新网2月2日电(中新财经记者 左宇坤)还在观望中的买房人,在这个春节过后迎来了颇有吸引力的“利率大礼”。
自今年1月央行、银保监会宣布建立首套住房贷款利率政策动态调整机制后,已有多地调整首套房贷款利率,从最开始的三四线城市,向郑州、厦门等更高能级城市蔓延。
资料图:参展商售楼人员向顾客介绍楼盘。房贷利率迈入“3时代”,有买房人“坐不住了”
“即日起,南宁市阶段性调整首套住房商业性个人住房贷款利率下限,调整后利率下限为LPR(贷款市场报价利率)减60个基点。按照现行LPR,我市首套住房商贷利率下限将下调为3.7%。”2月1日,广西南宁市住房和城乡建设局网站“官宣”了房贷利率下调的好消息。
“过年前就听说了些消息,年后就有银行开始陆续运作了。”南宁一楼盘销售人员孙先生对中新财经记者表示,有些银行二套房的贷款利率也降到了4.9%左右。
贝壳研究院监测数据显示,3.7%的首套房贷利率目前为全国商贷利率最低,同处这一水平的还有珠海、株洲和常德。
孙先生对此颇为感慨:“两三年之前,南宁的首套房贷利率最高能达到6.1%,在全国也算高的。这两天还有很多在‘高位上车’的客户跟我说,大腿都拍麻了,现在二套房利率都比当年首套房的低了。”
“昨天还有客户给我打电话,他是1月初刚刚以4.1%的利率贷了款,不过现在还没有放款,来问我能不能按3.7%走,我还是建议他马上联系银行经理。”孙先生说。
更为着急的显然是正有打算买房的人们。孙先生表示,最近几天很多意向购房者明显更着急想要尽快定下来。除了想赶上这波利好,也有人担心开发商会因为行情走热而调价。
同样在这两天迎来利率调整的还有福建厦门。“我们是从1月31日开始调整的,首套房贷款利率从原来的LPR-20基点调整到LPR-50基点,也就是3.8%。”厦门一房产中介夏女士对记者介绍,假设申请了30年的100万元贷款,等额本息的还款方式,每月能省下170余元。
夏女士同时强调,这次主要是针对首套房的定向利好,因为目前二套贷款利率还是LPR+80基点,即5.1%的利率,两者差别还是比较大的。
资料图:众多楼盘。 张一辰 摄已近20城调整利率下限,更多城市或将跟进
经历了2022年三次共35个基点的下调后,5年期LPR由2021年年底的4.65%降至4.3%。
央行、银保监会建立首套住房贷款利率政策动态调整机制后,新一年房贷利率调整的高峰期已然到来。
中指研究院1月31日发布的数据显示,据不完全统计,2023年新调整利率下限的城市接近20个,包括郑州、天津、福州、沈阳、厦门等二线城市,肇庆、湛江、云浮、惠州、韶关、江门阶段性取消首套房贷利率下限。
依据动态调整机制政策规定,新建商品住宅销售价格环比和同比连续3个月均下降的城市,可阶段性维持、下调或取消当地首套住房贷款利率政策下限。
“从城市分布来看,春节前,下调房贷利率的多以三四线城市为主;春节后,近几日下调房贷利率的城市以二线城市为主,其中不乏省会城市和重点二线城市。”诸葛找房数据研究中心指出。
对于未来更多的调整,上海易居房地产研究院统计认为,二线城市中的太原、沈阳、石家庄、哈尔滨、昆明、乌鲁木齐、南宁、武汉、海口和贵阳等地,三四线城市中的柳州、三亚、日照、承德、温州、中山、张家口和赣州等地,都有对房贷利率进行下调的需求。
“房贷利率的下降属于供需两端一揽子调控政策的一种,还是要与其他政策结合起来发挥作用。预计后续还有其他城市跟进,而且首套房贷利率还会下降。”广东省城规院住房政策研究中心首席研究员李宇嘉表示。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |