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.
推预制菜抢优质商品货源 零售企业花式争夺春节消费市场******
记者 桂小笋
随着春节临近,线下实体零售企业对于春节消费市场的争夺也渐入高潮,各方在商品采购、产品调整等环节发力,有些企业携手老字号推出预制菜产品,也有企业聚焦消费场景,还有企业提前布局“抢占”优质货源。
山姆会员店告诉《证券日报》记者,针对春节期间不同的消费场景,山姆会员店引入了丰富的礼盒商品,涵盖多元化场景,让消费者一站式购齐年货。同时,凭借高效运行模式等,让消费者直观感受到价格优势。例如,受全球供需变化影响,智利帝王蟹市场波动,为满足消费者需求,山姆会员店提前半年便锁定火地岛优质帝王蟹货源。“截至目前,礼盒类商品非常受欢迎,这是开发能力、供应链效率、一线门店呈现等环节共同努力的结果。”
此前,沃尔玛大卖场也公开表示,聚焦城市家庭消费场景,携手18家全国知名餐饮名店,推出“南北名店招牌菜”,提出“整席家宴解决方案”的新思路。
永辉超市相关人士对《证券日报》记者介绍,依托供应链优势与数字化建设,公司在2021年进军预制菜赛道,推出自有品牌“辉妈到家”。经过2年的发展,“辉妈到家”受到大量消费者青睐。近期,该品牌上新“辉宴系列”和“辉厨系列”,并推出了三十多款预制菜新品,加速预制菜品类布局。
“作为永辉超市旗下预制菜品牌,‘辉妈到家’依托于永辉在零售行业多年积累的市场经验和庞大客群,在产品开发前期大量调研了C端消费者的购买偏好。同时,依托永辉超市供应链优势,从销售终端深入到产业链源头,依托智能化冷链仓配,从生产到运输再到商超全程保鲜,实现产品的全链路管控。”永辉超市相关人士告诉《证券日报》记者。
有零售行业人士对《证券日报》记者表示,预制菜产品几乎成了行业的“必选项目”,既有联名合作,也有企业推出自有品牌产品。
广东省食品安全保障促进会副会长朱丹蓬对《证券日报》记者表示,预制菜市场潜力巨大,因此在过去一年多时间里,各类企业争相布局相关领域。
艾媒咨询CEO张毅对《证券日报》记者表示,零售企业开展预制菜业务有独特的优势,包括渠道优势和对消费者的触达能力。年夜饭是很好的消费场景,零售企业通过预制菜的方式占领消费者更多生活场景,也有利于提升用户黏性。
张毅向记者表示,看好预制菜产品在年夜饭市场的表现,随着消费场景进一步拓展,预制菜会有更广阔的市场空间。
“零售企业大力发展预制菜业务,争夺年夜饭市场份额,本质上是消费场景争夺战。品牌零售企业发展预制菜业务,优点在于食品安全、供应链有保障。”朱丹蓬对记者表示。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)