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.
中国兴起“另类”养宠热潮 背后风险需被“看见”******
中新社长沙10月15日电 (记者 唐小晴)“我的宠物鸡不仅可爱，生蛋也很厉害。每天从鸡窝捡蛋，也是一种乐趣。”27岁的周婷(化名)忙着给自己的爱宠芦丁鸡喂食。
芦丁鸡是近年来由斑翅山鹑与蓝胸鹑杂交形成的新品种，成年人拳头大小，重约50克，被称为“世界上最小的鸡”。它们因可爱外表和下蛋习惯成为中国宠物主们的最新陪伴。
半个月前，在长沙工作的周婷网上购买了12只芦丁鸡，希望靠这些小鸡实现“吃蛋自由”。“饲养在玻璃和木质箱里，配备灯光、楼梯和植物，就像‘娃娃屋’。芦丁鸡比较好养，控制好‘鸡窝’温度就行。”周婷说，一些宠物主会在社交媒体上分享鸡的日常生活、养鸡心得和“捡蛋”视频。
随着中国宠物产业蓬勃发展，芦丁鸡只是越来越流行的众多奇异宠物中的一种。近些年来，变色龙、蜜袋鼯、壁虎、刺猬和羊驼等非传统宠物纷纷现身市场，“异宠经济”成为新时尚。不少人通过短视频、朋友圈等社交媒体“晒”它们，赚取大波流量。
艾瑞咨询发布的《2021年中国宠物内容价值研究白皮书》显示，满足用户猎奇心态的异宠内容受关注度逐渐上升，在萌宠内容热度中占比在5%至15%之间。以“异宠”为主题的博主，也在各大社交平台渐流行。
彭群凌在长沙开了一家宠物寄养训练酒店，狐狸、鸭子和猪都来“住”过。“兔子、鹦鹉、仓鼠和蛇都是年轻人的爱宠。一些人为了让饲养的狐狸听话、定点大小便，专门送来训练。”彭群凌表示，短视频传播让一些不常见宠物更多进入大众视野。
中南大学社会学系教授杨成胜认为，部分年轻人为追求新奇、彰显个性，并吸引更多人关注，于是标新立异，放弃猫狗等传统宠物，转而去养新奇宠物。
“好看、安静省心是异宠受欢迎的另一个原因。比如，蜜袋鼯萌萌的外表及亲人的性格就让人喜爱。”谢新(化名)开了一家专售蜜袋鼯的商店，最贵的蜜袋鼯达12000元人民币一只。
不过，火爆的异宠市场背后也存在一些问题和挑战。比如，出于猎奇、跟风饲养的宠物主，不充分了解异宠习性，遇到异宠“不亲人”“味大”“难养”等问题就会弃养。兽医不专业、邮寄不正规、销售方缺乏资质等问题亦突出。
记者还了解到，异宠未经过人类长期驯化，一些仍具攻击性，对人的生命安全存在潜在威胁；某些异宠携带寄生虫、细菌和病毒，或给饲养者带来健康风险。
“随意饲养和买卖一些异宠，可能会触犯法律。还有国外的特有物种，未经批准偷运入境，饲养和买卖都涉嫌违法，可能还会导致外来物种侵袭。”资深律师郭瑄说，目前无针对异宠的专门法律法规，公众饲养异宠，仍处在一个“无法可依”的空白地带。
他建议，相关部门及时制定、完善相关法律法规，从另类宠物的种类、管理、健康、生态等方面限制和约束异宠饲养行为，出台一个方便执法的“黑白名单”，确保产业良性发展。
一些专业人士还表示，相关部门和售卖平台应做好充足知识普及和风险提示，给猎奇的消费者泼冷水，提醒理性买单。“相比传统宠物，一些养异宠的人群对待异宠也会科学、谨慎。”彭群凌认为，若不在网络平台上夸大和过分渲染异宠，在不触碰法律、法规和不影响他人情况下，“另类”养宠小范围内自我发展没什么问题。(完)
