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.
碳酸锂价格跌破50万元大关 消费者买车能更便宜吗?****** 中新网1月16日电(中新财经 葛成) 受供需变化等因素影响,近日,一向坚挺的碳酸锂价格跌破每吨50万元关口。作为新能源汽车的重要原材料,碳酸锂降价将对新能源汽车市场产生何种影响?谁又将从其价格下跌中获益? 资料图:碳酸锂。 盐湖集团供图碳酸锂“身价”近期跌幅超两成 据上海有色网报价显示,16日,电池级碳酸锂均价报每吨47.65万元,价格较2022年11月上旬的最高点跌幅超过两成。 回顾价格走势,碳酸锂曾在两年左右的时间身价上涨超十倍。 2021年初,电池级碳酸锂的价格仅为每吨5万元左右,2022年底则涨至每吨近60万元。进入2023年,价格回调,跌破每吨50万元关口。 作为锂电的消耗大户,新能源汽车持续影响着碳酸锂的供需关系,在其价格变动的过程中起到了推波助澜的作用。 中国汽车动力电池产业创新联盟数据显示,2022年,我国动力电池累计产量545.9GWh,同比增长148.5%;动力电池累计装车量294.6GWh,同比增长90.7%。 在中汽协副秘书长陈士华看来,碳酸锂价格变动与供需关系密切相关。此前,上游材料开发赶不上下游产业发展的速度,因此涨势明显。近期,随着国际市场产能快速提升,碳酸锂价格已经出现了明显的回落。 业内人士认为,未来,碳酸锂供需格局或仍处于紧平衡状态。碳酸锂价格下调还未结束,2023年碳酸锂价格将回归到更合理区间。 “目前,碳酸锂价格已经在期货端降到(每吨)40万元以下。”据乘联会秘书长崔东树预计,碳酸锂价格未来将回归到每吨20万元左右的价格,甚至更低。 国泰君安近期发布新能源汽车行业研报指出,2023年,锂电产业链有可能出现产能过剩现象,进一步加剧竞争。“锂电产业链各个环节均有不同程度产能释放,如果新增产能大幅超过行业需求,则可能带来产业链产能过剩,从而影响竞争格局和盈利水平。” 资料图:汽车运输。王以照 摄买新能源汽车会否更便宜?专家:降价是长期趋势 碳酸锂价格下跌,买新能源汽车会不会更便宜? 崔东树认为,考虑到原材料价格下降、制造规模化以及产业创新等因素,新能源汽车价格下降是长期趋势。 据他分析,新能源汽车价格下跌或受到两方面因素影响。一方面,新能源补贴退出有利于企业聚焦市场,有利于降低市场增长的预期;另一方面,上游矿产投资带来的供给充足,碳酸锂价格回归中低位有利于整车价格的合理回归。 中新财经注意到,近期,有车企选择以降低终端价格的方式抢占市场。 2023年伊始,特斯拉车型降价的消息就引发广泛关注。其中,Model 3起售价降至22.99万元,Model Y起售价降至25.99万元,两款国产车型已降至历史最低价。 当地时间12日,特斯拉美国官网也下调了所有车型的价格。其中,Model 3基础版降价3000美元至43990美元,降幅为6%;Model S基础版降价1万美元至94990美元,降幅为10%;Model X基础版降价1.1万美元,降幅为9%。降幅最大的是基础版Model Y,降价1.3万美元至52990美元,降幅为20%。 国泰君安在研报中提到,特斯拉降价背景下,新能源汽车在需求端有望得到有效释放。其中,中国和美国市场将贡献主要增量,预计2023年全球新能源汽车销量有望达到1400万辆,中国新能源汽车将达880万辆以上销量水平。 山西晋中的一条汽车生产流水线。(资料图) 张云 摄中国新能源汽车国际竞争力有望进一步提升 2023年,碳酸锂价格若能回归到合理区间,谁将从中受益? 首先,在购买新能源汽车的过程中,消费者有望享受到更多优惠。 其次,碳酸锂降价将为产业中下游带来巨大的成长空间,产业链有望充分受益。 业内人士认为,随着碳酸锂价格回归,储能、整车厂、新能源汽车等行业有望加速发展,产业格局将更加健康。 崔东树表示,未来几个月的电池成本必然明显下降,这对改善整车企业盈利带来很大的利好。“前期大量的电池投资,加之上游预期的调低,有利于降低资源价格。” 最后,中国新能源汽车也有望进一步提升整体国际竞争力。 崔东树认为,欧美、日韩等企业的品牌优势虽然明显,但我国新能源汽车的低成本竞争力已经凸显,低成本的价格竞争必然是改变世界汽车格局的核心竞争力。“新能源汽车产业链脱离原来的国际零部件供应商体系,中国力量在汽车零部件体系将日益强大。”(完)
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