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.
甘肃张掖:职业教育为乡村振兴增添新引擎******
甘肃张掖紧盯区域经济社会发展需求建专业、做培训、促产业——
职业教育为乡村振兴增添新引擎
“嗨哟嗨,嗨哟哈,高里提,低里撒,一夯一夯往瓷里砸……”欢快悠扬的歌声从甘肃省张掖市民乐县职业教育中心学校农村非物质文化遗产传承工作室教学传来,即将参加2023年市级职业技能大赛非遗表演赛项的12名幼儿保育专业学生,在农村非物质文化遗产传承人黄啸生指导下集训。
借助音乐教学,黄啸生将民乐民歌和非遗“打夯歌”“顶碗舞”等技艺技能引进校园。近年来,张掖把发展职业教育作为赋能乡村振兴的重要抓手,紧盯全市经济社会发展需求,持续深化普职融通、产教融合、校企合作,促进教育链、人才链与产业链、创新链有效衔接,让职业教育为乡村振兴赋能鼓劲。
培黎职业学院现代化农业专业授课现场。张掖市教育局供图(资料图片)
建强实训专业,培养能工巧匠
“配置营养液的水质偏软为佳,重金属元素不能超标……”培黎职业学院教师袁玉涛站在一片生长茂盛的芹菜旁,身边围着10多名神情专注的学生。
这是无土栽培技术实训课程的现场。放眼望去,大棚里水培区、土培区、育苗区井然有序,种植了辣椒、西葫芦、草莓等。“这都是学生自己种的。”袁玉涛说。
走进张掖市职教中心臻技楼一楼的数控加工实训中心,机声隆隆,一派繁忙,30余台设备正在高速运转,学生们在进行数控加工实操。
2020年,张掖投资新建培黎职业学院、张掖市职教中心。目前,张掖市职教中心已建成实训楼3幢、专业实训室86个、实训工位2152个,开设了18个专业。3年来,培黎职业学院开设现代农业、大数据等16个专业,建成五大类38个现代化实训室。
张掖是农业大市,现代农业技术人才需求旺盛。据统计,张掖市职业院校85%以上的学生来自农村。针对涉农职业教育学生招不来、下不去、留不住、用不好等问题,张掖加强涉农专业建设,建成设施农业生产技术、现代农艺技术等5个农林牧渔类专业,7所中职学校建成十三大类36个专业,创建省级骨干专业7个,形成了以先进制造、文化旅游、汽车维修、循环农业为主的四大专业集群,建立起了契合乡村产业发展新需求的专业体系。
开展精准培训,激活人才引擎
初冬时节,在高台县职业中专实训中心,教室里电光四溢、饭菜飘香,焊接、烹调技能培训正在火热进行。
培训教师边操作边讲解,为学员们手把手传授技术。“利用冬闲时节掌握一门手艺,以后我们出门打工也更好找工作了。”参训学员们纷纷表示。
高台县职业中专利用师资设备优势,积极承担职业技能培训,涉及中式烹调师、中式面点师、保育员、焊工等多个工种。
近年来,聚焦全省十大生态产业和全市重点产业、重大项目用工需求,张掖各职业院校面向农村转移就业劳动者、下岗失业人员、退役军人、残疾人等,免费开展就业技能培训和创业培训。
同时,各职业院校和培训机构发挥自身优势,结合乡村发展的多种新业态、农牧技术推广应用和农村实用技术等,年均培训2.5万人次,培养了大批乡土人才,推动职业教育与现代农业、生态旅游等产业深度融合。
聚焦惠农科研,助力产业提升
“从培养皿中快速取出马铃薯脱毒种薯苗,用剪刀精准将株苗头、颈分离,再迅速装入另外一个培养皿中。”这是培黎职业学院乡村振兴创新研究院与甘肃天润薯业共建的马铃薯脱毒种薯创新研究中心,正在开展培训的一个场景。
2022年,培黎职业学院成立乡村振兴创新研究院,开展“三农”领域理论研究与智库服务,大力培养乡村振兴人才,紧密服务乡村产业发展和乡村建设需求。
学院通过校企合作模式,以马铃薯种薯创新研究中心、马铃薯脱毒种薯繁育基地和专业教师团队为依托,不断强化校企双方人才培养、科技创新,生产微型薯83万粒,有力提升了马铃薯原种生产效益和区域内马铃薯良种覆盖率,直接经济效益达25万元。
近年来,张掖探索科教融汇,鼓励高职院校联合地方、行业、骨干企业共建技术技能创新平台、技术转移机构、科技企业孵化器、众创空间,为推动科技成果转化、培养多样化人才奠定了基础。
“以现代农业技术、种子生产与经营等现有专业为重点打造智慧农业专业群,源源不断培养懂技术、善经营、会管理的涉农人才,让职业教育成为助推全市乡村全面振兴的新引擎。”张掖市教育局党组书记、局长殷大斌说。(本报记者 郑芃生 通讯员 王思敏)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)