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.

会跳舞的“茶中金镶玉”是如何炼成的？******

　　坐落于浩瀚缥缈的洞庭湖中的君山，由72座绵延起伏的山峰组成，四面环水，山上林木茂盛，常年云雾缭绕。君山物产万类，其中茶最负盛名。

　　烟波浩渺的洞庭湖畔，君山岛青山如黛，茶园叠翠，一垄垄整齐划一的茶树，犹如绿色的碧浪随风摆舞。岛上肥沃的土壤、湿润的气候与北纬30度的神奇地理位置，造就了中国十大名茶之一、黄茶之冠——君山银针。

　　今年70岁的高孝祖是君山银针茶制作技艺的市级代表性传承人，他的父亲高阳文是君山茶场建立时的第一位制茶师傅。高孝祖从12岁开始便跟随父亲学习君山银针茶的制作技艺，这一做就是一辈子。

　　“对君山银针已经有了一种特殊的情感，感觉它就像是自己的孩子一样。”聊起茶叶，高孝祖一下就打开了话匣子。他介绍，“君山银针成品的茶芽茁壮，大小很均匀，内呈橙黄色，外面包裹一层白毫，所以还有一个雅号叫‘金镶玉’。君山银针还有一大特色就是冲泡的时候会三起三落，也被称为‘会跳舞的茶’。”

　　君山银针的独特除了得益于得天独厚的地理条件，更离不开其独特的“黄茶工艺”。

　　杀青、初烘、初包、复烘、再包、足火……除了与其他茶众多共同点外，黄茶比其他茶类更为独特的是特殊工序“闷黄”。就是这近乎玄妙的“双闷”，才造就了君山银针的独特。

　　“两次闷黄的时间不一致，第一次闷黄需要48小时，第二次根据茶的状态再进行闷黄。何时加压，手法轻重，温度湿度是否合宜，茶发酵时，应该保持多少温度，开多大窗，盖多厚被子。”从事制茶技艺50多年的高孝祖说：“没有什么技巧，全是靠经验。”

　　君山银针的采摘和制作都有严格要求，每年只能在“清明”前后七天到十天采摘。“银针茶只采摘首轮单芽，也就是茶叶最顶端的部分，一个芽制成一片叶，所以很珍贵。”高孝祖介绍。

　　由于一年只采一季，君山银针茶在采摘上有着极高的要求。据高孝祖介绍，黄茶采摘奉行的是“九不采”原则：雨天不采、风霜不采、开口不采、发紫不采、空心不采、弯曲不采、虫伤不采、细瘦不采、不合尺寸不采。在这样严苛的采摘标准下，4万棵鲜嫩芽头才能制成一斤干茶。

　　尽管茶厂已经采用现代化设备，但对自己喜爱了一辈子的茶，高孝祖还是喜欢用手工制作。“我没有其他特长，不会干别的，只会制茶。机械做不出手工的味道，从原材料的选取，到杀青、烘干、摊凉、足火，每一步都是机器无法达到的。”

　　说起这些，高孝祖很是自豪。这些年高孝祖一直致力于君山银针茶手工制作技艺的传承、保护和推广。制茶五十多年，高孝祖被当地人亲切地称为“茶大师”。“我想把君山银针做得更完美，让越来越多爱上这块金字招牌。”高孝祖笑着说。（岳沛 靳铃涵）