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.
春节专属理财产品上新 低风险产品成主流******
春节前夕,银行、理财公司借势上架春节专属理财产品,也有部分银行主推风险较低的理财产品、保本的存款产品,期限大多较短,以满足投资者年终奖或闲置资金的理财需求。
业内人士建议,投资者在进行春节理财时,需结合自身风险偏好、投资需求、资金流动性等方面进行综合考虑,也需关注产品的起息日。
银行抢滩“春节档”理财
农历新年临近,不少投资者着手进行春节期间的理财规划,银行、理财公司也纷纷行动,针对投资者的理财需求,上架春节专属理财产品。
中国理财网显示,近期有多只“春节专享”“新春专享”“年终奖专享”理财产品发行。比如,1月19日,便有多款“新春专享”固收类封闭式理财产品同台竞技,发行机构包括宁银理财、嘉兴银行、乌鲁木齐银行等。这些产品风险等级以R2(中低风险)为主,时间期限涵盖3-6个月、6-12个月、1-3年。此外,民生理财、新疆银行发行的部分春节专属理财产品已结束募集。
除了上架春节专属理财产品之外,不少银行在春节期间也有主推的普通理财产品。固收类封闭式理财产品成为多家银行的主推产品之一。工商银行北京某支行理财经理向中国证券报记者推荐的两款产品均为固收类封闭式理财产品,持有期限分别为3个月和1年。建设银行北京某支行理财经理同样推荐了一款固定收益类理财产品,封闭期为30天。
保本类存款产品是银行主推的另一类产品。工商银行合肥某支行理财经理推荐了一款七天通知存款产品。据其介绍,存入20万元以下,年利率为1.1%,存入20万元以上,年利率为1.75%。“您可以根据资金需求自行设置到账时间,到期自动到账。如果未设置到账时间,想要支取时,提前7天通知银行即可,时间较为灵活。”该理财经理说。
近期热销的大额存单也受到理财经理的推荐。“目前大额存单额度比较紧俏,您想买的话,我可以先帮您申请额度,申请成功后您来网点办理。”工商银行北京某支行理财经理告诉中国证券报记者。
中低风险产品为主
春节期间,银行、理财公司的春节专属理财产品或主推的理财产品有何特点?中国证券报记者调研发现,期限较短、风险较低是大部分理财产品的共性。
短期理财产品的流动性较好,能够满足投资者的短期理财需求,是理财经理推荐的理由之一。“若购买这款30天封闭期的理财产品,一个月内不能赎回,过了封闭期后在工作日赎回,第二个工作日就可到账,比较适合短期理财。”建设银行北京某支行理财经理介绍。
工商银行合肥某支行理财经理也建议,春节期间理财可以选择期限较短的产品,后续若有长期投资需求,可以考虑五年期的趸交保险或周期长的定期产品。
在风险等级方面,上述提到的理财产品风险等级大多相对较低,以中低风险为主。一位理财经理表示,这主要是受到理财净值化的影响。
此外,与普通理财产品相比,春节主题理财产品的业绩比较基准相对较高。以新疆银行发行的金胡杨封闭净值型理财第143期(春节专享)理财产品为例,该产品业绩比较基准为3.9%,而该银行近期发行的金胡杨封闭净值型理财第141期理财产品的业绩比较基准为3.65%。
需关注产品起息日
业内人士认为,投资者进行春节理财时,不能仅考虑业绩比较基准,需结合自身风险偏好、投资需求、资金流动性等方面进行综合考虑,也需关注产品的起息日。
尽管春节主题理财产品业绩比较基准略高,但业内人士提示业绩比较基准并不代表实际收益率。融360数字科技研究院分析师刘银平表示,理财产品已经进入全面净值化时代,产品净值不断波动,业绩比较基准不代表实际投资收益率,即使业绩比较基准更高,也不意味着投资者能拿到更高的收益率。
中信银行理财专家建议,在考虑产品风险评级的基础上,更要重点关注产品的底层投资标的及投资比例,同时参考同系列产品历史运作业绩及净值波动情况,再做出最适合自己的投资选择。
春节期间产品是否有收益,也值得关注。刘银平表示,春节理财产品需要关注产品的起息日,很多产品在节假日期间无法购买或不能起息。“货币基金、银行现金管理类产品、短债基金、国债逆回购等产品需要在1月19日交易时段结束之前购买,才能享受春节长假期间的收益。”刘银平说。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)