韩国籍机长的中国年：“忙并快乐着”******
(新春见闻)韩国籍机长的中国年：“忙并快乐着”
中新社重庆1月21日电 题：韩国籍机长的中国年：“忙并快乐着”
作者 张旭
19日晚间，完成2023年春运第14趟飞行，随后从河南郑州坐飞机返回重庆，抵渝已是20日凌晨；21日陪妻子、女儿吃火锅团聚，稍作休整；预计22日从重庆起飞，驾驶飞机前往上海……这个春节，韩国籍机长李汉英忙得“马不停蹄”。
作为一名服务中国春运的机长，李汉英来自韩国日山，现就职于西部航空有限责任公司。2023年春运是中国对新冠病毒感染实施“乙类乙管”后的首个春运，也是他在中国民航服务民众的第五个春运。
“来中国前，我服务过韩国‘春运’。”李汉英说，韩国民众在圣诞节至中国农历新年期间，会选择出国游，是为韩国“春运”；作为一名成熟机长，他驾驶过波音747、波音767、空客320等机型，多为国际航班，也多在这段时间迎来航班的热闹非凡。
2023年春运，中国民航迎来旅客量大幅增长，作为中国民航的一员，他用“忙并快乐着”形容自己的春运状态。
“韩国和中国都有‘春运’，两国其他文化也很相近，在中国工作、生活很舒服。”李汉英称，因看好中国民航，他选择来这里发展。这里距离他的家乡近，以他居住时间最长的重庆为例，约三小时航程，便于照顾家人。他还把女儿接来中国，上了国际学校，学习中文和英文，李汉英认为，这两门语言将成为与世界交流的重要语言工具。
李汉英知道，春节是中国人最重要的节日之一。在这几天，公司的外籍机长都会主动要求排班，好让中国籍同事有机会和家人团聚。往年间，绝大多数除夕和大年初一，他都手握操纵杆，往返各大城市，完成起飞、翱翔和降落。“在特别的日子，那种送乘客回家团聚的感觉，还挺有成就感。”李汉英说。
21日是中国农历除夕，这一天的团聚，也是李汉英一家三口在中国的首次除夕团聚。李汉英说，根据老家的习俗，大人要给小孩发红包，城市还有焰火表演等。听说重庆此次春节期间将进行焰火表演，李汉英非常期待。
“吃什么”自然是除夕团聚的重要议题。当地特色的麻辣火锅，毫无疑义地成为这个在渝韩国家庭的首选。“我的妻子和女儿，对重庆火锅有天然好感，第一次吃就深深爱上，尤其爱吃‘特辣’。”李汉英说，重庆人的热情，就像火锅一样吸引、温暖着他们，伴着他们消除远离家乡的孤独。
值得一提的是，一家三口还一起办理了中国“绿卡”(外国人永久居留身份证)。“这让我们在住酒店、过海关等，手续更简便。”李汉英说，他还听说“绿卡”在购买医疗保险方面有便利，打算忙完这个春运，和家人一起前去了解、办理。(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.
