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.
浙江教育两会观察：如何为职业教育发展“谋出路”？******
中新网杭州1月14日电 题：浙江教育两会观察：如何为职业教育发展“谋出路”？
记者 谢盼盼
职业教育，一直以来都存有误解：社会认可度低，上升通道受阻……在此间举行的浙江省两会上，多位浙江省政协委员为职业教育发展“支招”。
近年来，中央、省里和各市相继召开职业教育大会，出台了一系列支持职业教育快速发展的政策，职业教育的发展无疑迎来了“春天”。
然而，浙江省政协委员、九三学社金华市委主委，金华市副市长庄凌飞从工作调研中发现，还有一些制约职业教育发展的瓶颈问题亟待破解。
其一表现为普通教育与职业教育生源抢夺激烈，更多生源流向普通高中；其二为职业教育统筹力度有待强化。中职教育与技工教育一体规划不够，市自为战、县自为战、校自为战的现象仍然存在，职教布局、专业设置顶层设计有待加强，专业重复建设造成较大浪费；其三为职业教育服务地方发展的水平有待提升，专业与产业匹配度、实训实操能力还有待加强；其四为高层次复合型技能人才培养途径有待进一步拓展。
他担心，受普职比控制放开、职业教育社会认可度不高等因素影响，职业教育的生源正在逐渐萎缩，技工院校赴外地招生的成效也不明显，今后一个时期很有可能造成中职学校和技工院校“无生可招”的局面。
民进浙江省委会常委、湖州市委会主委李红同样关注职业教育及人才培养。
李红认为，许多中高职院校的高学历教师，从校门走进校门，缺乏必要的操作技能和实践经验。同时技工院校师生比偏低，以2022年浙江省人社厅评出的10所省一流技师学院为例，平均师生比在1:18.7，与普通教育相差甚远。
今年，浙江对职业人才的培育可谓下了“大力气”。
据政府工作报告，2023年浙江将开展职业教育培训150万人次；开展职业技能培训110万人次以上，新增技能人才40万人，其中高技能人才20万人；建成零工市场200个。
在此前提下，职业教育的发展应当如何“谋出路”？庄凌飞提议，要提升职业教育社会地位，加快凝聚职业教育与普通教育同等重要的社会共识；加大对职业教育的投入，提升产教融合水平；打造“浙江工匠”品牌，高规格举办浙江省技能大赛，加大优秀技能人才激励力度，营造尊重技能人才、重视技能人才的浓厚社会氛围。
此外，他还认为，要加强顶层设计，切实做好规划、政策、专业等统筹文章，形成推动职业教育高质量发展合力；聚力提升实操实训水平，提高职业教育竞争力和影响力，同时也要鼓励优秀的教师和学生到企业中去深造学习，在一线岗位提升技能水平。
李红建议，在满足当前产业发展所需人才的基础上，更加关注“未来工厂”所需要的产业工人，在规划未来产业时，同步规划“未来工人”培养计划，提前开展人才储备。与此同时，围绕专业发展要求，创新工学一体化技能人才培养模式。可以对接世界技能大赛标准，完善评价策略和评价体系，培养对接世界前沿高技能人才。
诚然，国家的发展既需要顶尖科技人才，也离不开一代代工匠的辛勤付出；一流的科研成果，更需要一流的制造水平予以实现。重视职业教育的发展无疑是浙江打造创新高地的关键一环，也是推进扩中提低，夯实共同富裕示范区建设的重要基础性工作。(完)
