新春走基层丨雪山之巅的忠诚与坚守******
在祖国西南边陲，为了有效应对边境突发情况，西藏日喀则军分区某团官兵，在海拔4500米的雪域高原长期驻训，他们把对家人的思念深埋心底，用自己的青春奉献扛起使命担当，出色完成了各项边防任务。今天的“新春走基层”报道，让我们跟随记者的镜头，走上雪山之巅，感受驻训官兵的忠诚与坚守。
一大早，记者从团部出发，跟随物资保障车上山前往驻训点，3个小时的车程，山路蜿蜒曲折，海拔不断攀升，气温不断降低。
抵达驻训点时，官兵们正在展开战备训练。三年前，针对边境复杂态势，日喀则军分区派出整建制部队来到这里长期驻训。这里地理位置险要，不仅高寒缺氧，风力常年在7级以上。在大风和沙尘的肆虐下，官兵们的训练仍然按照既定计划顺利完成。正在给大家进行复盘讲解的荆金龙班长，今年是第12年的老兵。他告诉记者，三年前，他们刚到这里驻训时，只能住地窝子和帐篷，如今的条件已经改善了许多。
这些年来，驻训点的配套设施日益完善，不变的是，自然环境依然恶劣，官兵们始终不畏艰苦、默默坚守。
快要过年了，荆班长收到了一份特殊的礼物，那是来自老家河南漯河的特色年画。年画一展开，荆班长嘴角的笑意就止不住了。
甜甜出生的时候因为早产，荆班长来不及赶回家去，心里一直很愧疚。
西藏日喀则军分区某团班长荆金龙：一次生日也没有陪她过过，回到家里边，看到她，心里边就泛酸。然后，我妈把我女儿抱过来的时候，我女儿就看到我很害怕，躲着我不让我抱，我去抱她的时候她哭了，我就认为当父亲，当到这个份上，还是比较失败的。她指着电视上的军人喊爸爸的时候，我真想穿着我的军装跑到她面前，抱着她，爸爸回来了。
总说军人的泪水都化作了汗水，荆班长在连队是出了名的硬汉，入伍多年来参加过管边管控、战备执勤、应急处突等多次军事行动。
西藏日喀则军分区某团班长荆金龙：我会把自己的责任给扛起来，把手里边这一把枪给握稳、握紧。
过年前，驻训点组织了一场授衔仪式，这些新战士去年一入伍就来到了这里，面对荒无人烟的陌生环境，他们战风沙、斗严寒，经历了整整一年的磨炼，完成了从新兵到老兵的成长。
（总台央视记者 王晓丹）
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.
