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.
上海市商务委：2023年年夜饭堂食预订、预制菜外卖两旺******
中新网1月15日电 据“上海商务”公众号15日消息，随着疫情影响逐渐消退，2023年春节年夜饭市场逐步进入复苏阶段，呈现出堂食预订和预制菜外卖两旺的景象。
堂食预订迅速回升
2023年春节年夜饭堂食于去年11月份启动，并出现包房一桌难订、仅大堂少有余量可订的情况。但受12月份疫情感染社会面传播影响，年夜饭堂食退订一度高达50%。随着近期疫情影响的逐渐消退，年夜饭堂食退订的复订率快速提升，年夜饭堂食预订已达80%以上。
预制菜外卖深受青睐
由于疫情的缘故，近几年预制菜被越来越多的消费者知晓和接纳。随着预制菜发展的日趋成熟，预制菜已成为市民年夜饭关注的热点。特别是由老字号餐饮品牌推出的年夜饭预制菜，深受市民欢迎，销售火爆。经餐饮烹饪行业协会初步统计，今年年夜饭预制菜供应量较去年同期增长近20%。
上海市商务委称，针对今年春节时间早、受疫情影响市民年夜饭预订启动较晚以及食材、用工成本有所增加的实际，市商务委指导企业早筹划、早启动、早准备，全力以赴做好春节年夜饭餐饮市场保障工作，努力满足市民个性化、多元化、品质化餐饮消费需求。
具体来看，老字号餐饮品牌以及餐饮连锁品牌，积极在人员、食材、营销等方面推出各项举措，满足市民年夜饭堂食的需求。企业通过发放慰问金、开展聚餐茶谊等稳岗留工措施，鼓励员工春节期间多出勤、出满勤，激励广大员工在沪做好餐饮服务的工作热情。为扩大年夜饭市场销售，企业同时推出年夜饭半成品外卖套餐，提前采购优质食材、精心研制菜品，并推出不同折扣优惠，让市民吃得满意、吃得放心。互联网平台积极响应，推出“春节不打烊，热‘爱’送到家”、“居家嗨购，云上过年”等线上外卖活动。
同时，餐饮企业推出的年夜饭预制菜仍与去年价格基本持平，保持价格稳定。堂食年夜饭平均价格较去年同期略有小幅增长。餐饮企业持续细化市场定位，引入新品，丰富特色美食。各大品牌餐饮企业积极开拓销售渠道，进一步缩短与消费者的距离。今年，除线上商城、小程序、网上平台销售外，品牌餐饮企业积极与线下社区渠道拓展合作。(中新财经)
