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.
周边众筹破亿,“杀疯了”的流浪地球会有主题乐园吗?****** 中新网1月31日电(中新财经 左雨晴) 累计票房27亿、多平台评分第一、北美周末票房前十、英国上映当日票房前十……春节档上映的《流浪地球2》,让不少网友惊呼“杀疯了!” 电影里,剧情细节引发热议;电影外,《流浪地球2》也迎来中国科幻电影与观众的“双向奔赴”:1月30日,赛凡科幻空间出品的《流浪地球2》周边众筹进度突破1亿元人民币。 27亿票房带动超1亿元周边众筹,《流浪地球2》向电影行业与观众展示的,不仅是中国式科幻电影的极致浪漫,还有衍生品市场的无限潜力。 爆单1亿元 网友呼吁“一户一笨” 春节档上映的《流浪地球2》,无疑是目前讨论热度最高的电影之一。但对于已二刷电影的孙雪(化名)来说,单纯讨论剧情已不能满足她对“小破球”的喜爱,在得知赛凡推出了正版授权周边的第一时间,她立刻选择了下单。 1月31日,《流浪地球2》三款周边淘宝众筹总金额已经破1.2亿元。 截图自淘宝“造点新货”平台。孙雪告诉中新财经,自己很喜欢电影里的机械狗笨笨和人工智能MOSS,于是选择购买了成品模型。“其实还有拼装版,但我对拼胶并不了解,考虑再三还是买了成品。”而在赛凡官博的评论区内,也有网友留言称自己买了拼装版:“想要和孩子一起组装。” 中新财经注意到,作为《流浪地球2》官方正版授权商的赛凡,除上架了徽章、鼠标垫等“软周边”现货外,还推出了三款众筹产品:机械狗笨笨、数字生命卡和人工智能MOSS。其中,最便宜的MOSS拼装版价格为148元,最贵的笨笨成品版为488元。 尽管价格并不便宜,但粉丝们还是选择了“激情下单”。《流浪地球2》周边实际众筹金额迅速突破千万,并成为最快破亿的影视IP衍生品。对此,赛凡称众筹金额已远超预期,呼吁大家理性消费。 然而这未能阻止网友“上头”,不少网友纷纷表示希望能实现“一户一笨”,并为周边设计出谋划策:“数字生命卡的设计可以再改进一下。”“还想要太空电梯、门框机器人!”一些网友提出更“硬核”的周边需求:“外骨骼装甲可以有吗?”更有粉丝直言:“我们买的不是周边,是中国科幻的未来!” “让人类保持理性,确实是一种奢求。”对此,有网友借用电影中的台词调侃。 29日晚,“爆单”的赛凡不得不发布众筹产品截档公告,表示因工厂本年度产能原因,为最大程度保障产品品质以及发货周期,最终决定在销售完今年产能数量后截档。 30日,在赛凡成交数近50万、众筹金额破亿后,孙雪再度下单了定制版的数字生命卡。“大家都在戏称这个是‘赛博骨灰盒’,我觉得自己也可以体验一下赛博式浪漫。”她向中新财经表示,下单当晚该产品预订已彻底告罄。 除赛凡外,徐工集团、52TOYS的《流浪地球2》正版衍生品众筹项目也均远超目标金额,正版授权的《流浪地球》手游也在日前开启了预约通道,一场属于流浪地球的消费“狂欢”正持续上演。 《流浪地球2》海报国产影视IP从无到有 主题乐园还远吗? 周边众筹超1亿元,这届消费者为何如此愿意为《流浪地球》掏钱? 作为IP的延伸,衍生品一直承载着消费者对IP的情绪化消费,成为IP商品化后的重要收入渠道。艾瑞网在相关报告中指出,娱乐IP衍生品价值除了可以扩宽商业变现能力之外,还可以延长IP的生命周期,丰富IP内容的宣传渠道。 长期以来,国外头部IP诸如漫威宇宙、迪士尼、哈利·波特等,都对国内消费者影响深远。而近年来国内影视IP爆款不断,佳作频出,也刺激了国产IP衍生品市场,年轻消费群体对国产IP衍生品的购买尤为慷慨。 2015年7月,电影《西游记之大圣归来》衍生品上线淘宝众筹,一天内便筹款破千万,刷新了淘宝众筹娱乐类项目的筹款金额纪录;一年后,《大鱼海棠》上映两周,其衍生品销售总额就已达5000多万元,远超其3000万元制片成本;2018年,《流浪地球》衍生品的众筹总额则为769万元;《山河令》《陈情令》《盗墓笔记》《白蛇2:青蛇劫起》等也均迎来过衍生品热销。 但与国外头部IP相比,《大圣归来》等IP缺乏延续性和稳定性,其衍生品的热销也犹如“昙花一现”,生命力并不持久。有业内人士指出,目前国内影视IP的衍生品市场仍不成熟,除内容端与衍生品端割裂、衍生品不够多元化外,侵权盗版等乱象也会打击IP对衍生品市场的信心。 例如,此前曾大热的《哪吒之魔童降世》,其周边销售计划未能与电影上映同步,导致当众筹项目姗姗来迟时,市场上早已是盗版横生。想要向迪士尼、漫威的商业模式看齐,打造纯熟的全产业链,对国内IP来说仍是任重而道远。 目前,《流浪地球2》多批次众筹产品均已售罄。根据赛凡公布的发货周期,众筹期间的订单最晚将于今年11月底全部完成发货。不少网友已开始在微博上催工:“生产线要起火星子了!” 不过,面对如此庞大的订单量,也不乏网友对赛凡的产能、品控表示出担忧。孙雪也有此种想法:“品控一直是周边销售的问题之一,尤其是这次众筹数量大、批次多,希望厂家能严格把控质量。” 但毫无疑问的是,《流浪地球》连续两部电影的出色表现,已让不少网友对其IP的生命力抱有极大的希望,他们的消费需求已不仅仅局限于购买周边模型,有网友表示:“希望有一天能够去流浪地球主题乐园。”(完)
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