（新春走基层）新生代“宁波帮”的新春愿景：“通关”更要通民心******
中新网宁波1月25日电(记者 项菁)“新的一年，希望有更多香港青年到内地走走看看，特别是到我的家乡宁波创新创业，寻找更广阔的天地。”作为新生代“宁波帮”，香港同胞忻伟高近日受访时说，他非常看好内地发展，并期待“通关”之后，民心更相通。
1月8日，香港与内地实施首阶段“通关”。得益于“通关”的便捷高效，今年春节，忻伟高和家人也从内地回到香港过年。对于长期致力推进甬(宁波简称)港交流交往的忻伟高而言，“通关”是莫大的惊喜。
宁波与香港血缘相亲、文缘相近、商缘相融，涌现了王宽诚、包玉刚、邵逸夫等一大批“宁波帮”人士。多年来，一代代“宁波帮”走南闯北发展实业之时，亦为甬港交流合作作出贡献。
“父亲到香港发展实业后，又时常回到宁波，用实际行动回报家乡。比如我的祖籍地云龙镇冠英村有一个永正公园，那是我爸妈30年前捐赠建设的。”忻伟高坦言，父母对宁波的感情很深，为传承父辈精神，忻伟高也希望通过自己努力推进“甬港双城记”。
2005年忻伟高加入香港甬港联谊会，参与两地交流活动。2015年起，他担任世界中华宁波总商会会董、副秘书长，希望凝聚世界上的宁波籍商人，推动宁波现代化发展。也就是这一年起，他每年4月率领香港高中生团队赴宁波交流，走访宁波帮博物馆、河姆渡遗址、王阳明故居等地。
“其实，香港学生对内地不够了解。经过实地探访，他们对内地有了新认识，对宁波印象也有所改观，这就是交流的意义。”忻伟高称，“受疫情影响，这个交流活动暂停了3年，我们已经在商讨今年4月重启事宜。”
在此过程中，忻伟高也越发感觉到，促进两地交流，“牵线搭桥”非常重要。
这与“宁波帮”精神不谋而合。在忻伟高看来，“宁波帮”是一群“走出去”又“走回来”的宁波儿女，他们都有一颗“帮宁波”的心。不过他也谈到，如今“帮宁波”，已经不单单是捐钱捐物，“帮”的含义很广，包括推介宁波、促进宁波与外界联谊联络等各领域。
担任宁波市政协委员也是忻伟高参与宁波建设的一种方式。六年的履职，使忻伟高与宁波发展“同频共振”，他还数次提出“鼓励香港人到宁波发展”的建议。
“宁波是一座很有人情味的城市，是一片创新创业的热土。虽然我没有在宁波出生，但对故土的情感不断增强。”在忻伟高看来，宁波与香港最主要的交集点就是“人”，他希望各方积极搭桥，“增进两地人员往来，促进心灵相通”。(完)
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.
