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.
中国“Z世代”助浴师“出师” 解“银发族”难言之痛******
中新网济南2月4日电 (李明芮)准备血压计、血氧仪，组装浴缸，铺上防水垫，对浴缸进行消毒，调试水温……2月4日，一系列准备工作就绪后，济南“00后”助浴师张慧和同事一起将行动不便的老人抱进浴缸里，开始助浴服务。
随着中国老龄人口增多，助浴服务受到社会关注。中国国家卫生健康委员会数据显示，截至2021年底，中国60岁及以上老年人口达2.67亿，65岁及以上老年人口达2亿以上。
张慧和同事一起为老人进行助浴服务。 受访者供图在上述背景下，专为老年人提供洗浴服务的“助浴师”一职应运而生，北京、上海、江苏、山东等省市的部分地方逐渐兴起助浴服务。值得注意的是，近几年，这一新兴职业群体出现了越来越多的“Z世代”面孔，助解“银发族”养老“痛点”。
今年22岁的张慧是济南春和善养老服务有限公司的助浴师，从业半年来，已服务百余位老人。在她看来，为老人助浴是一件很有意义的事，“‘助浴’不仅可以帮助老人洗去身体上的不适，还能帮助老人获得心灵上的放松。”
“小张，你下次什么时候过来呀？”这是张慧每次工作后听到最多的一句话。张慧说，每次看到服务的老人及其家属充满感激的眼神，以及洗完澡后老人舒服的样子，就有满满的成就感，这也是她坚持做这份工作的动力。
济南春和善养老服务有限公司的创始人曹帅是一位“90后”，他以自身经历为例介绍说，洗澡，对年轻人来说是一件平常的小事，但却是许多老人心中的难言之痛。他80多岁的爷爷由于疾病卧床，陷入半失能状态，曾一度为洗澡问题困扰。“许多失能或者半失能老人疾病缠身，洗澡造成的心理波动或者其他状况，容易刺激到老人，导致意外事故的发生。这就需要更专业、更年轻的人来帮忙解决问题。”
“‘助浴’可以通过为老人服务，增加粘性，逐渐通过‘助浴’延伸到老人家里的情感交流、精神慰藉等领域。”曹帅称，自己在从事这一行业前，了解到日本有“访问助浴”，并向日本的一家助浴公司学习经验，将其转化为适合国人的助浴服务。“公司的员工也趋于年轻化，并在上岗前经过系统的培训，能更好地为老人服务。”
张慧和同事一起为老人进行助浴服务。 受访者供图2022年，中国国务院印发《“十四五”国家老龄事业发展和养老服务体系规划》，明确指出应支持社区助浴点、流动助浴车、入户助浴等多种业态发展，以及推动助浴服务相关产品的研发。
某电商平台发布数据显示，2021年“老人助浴”“老人洗澡”等关键词搜索量同比增长808.06%，“老人助浴”订单量同比增长1450%。
“让老人干净而体面地老去，市场力量不能缺席，更离不开家庭成员的呵护，社会养老制度的关怀和传统观念的转变。”曹帅坦言，除了帮老人“澡”回尊严、“澡”回幸福，还能做的事情有很多，希望有越来越多的人关注并参与到养老服务工作中。(完)
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