广东春运的“摩托大军”去哪儿了？高铁一开就锐减近20万人******
“摩托大军”去哪儿了
对于常年关注广东地区春运的人而言，“摩托大军”不是个陌生的词语。但是，今年春运期间，在广东佛山、肇庆等往年“摩托大军”的必经之路上，浓烟滚滚、轰鸣震天的摩托车长队已然消失。
这些思乡心切、甘冒风雪的归家人，去了哪里？
在没有高铁的春运年代，运力紧张是广东珠三角及周边地区的常态。因为春节火车一票难求，相当一部分广西籍外来务工人员，只得选择结伴骑摩托车返乡。相同的时间、相同的路线，让他们会聚成了一支浩浩荡荡的“摩托大军”。
2012年春运，“摩托大军”开始兴起。当年“摩托大军”总数超过30万人。为确保“摩托大军”的安全，当地党委政府甚至动用了警车为他们开路。2014年春运，“摩托大军”达到鼎盛，一度逼近60万人。广东肇庆等地每天安排1000多名工作人员，为其提供引导、救助、餐饮等志愿服务。但即便全力保障，交通堵塞和交通事故也总是与“摩托大军”如影随形。
2014年年底，贵广、南广高铁开通，情况发生了变化。当年春运，贵广、南广高铁每天运力可达3万人。高铁一开，当年“摩托大军”就锐减了近20万人。
作为曾经“摩托大军”中的一员，在广州务工的王慧珍给记者算了一笔账：如果坐汽车回广西宾阳老家，票价200多元，要10个小时才能到家；骑摩托车回家，成本虽然只有坐汽车的一半，但要十四五个小时才能到家，既辛苦又不安全；而广州至南宁的高铁票价是169元，4个小时就能到家。选择一目了然。
记者从广铁集团了解到，今年春运，南广、贵广高铁的运力创历史新高，每天可运9万多人。从2015年春运开始，广铁集团还联合广东、广西两地党委政府和爱心企业，开行了“摩托大军”高铁返乡专列，希望引导人们选择更加安全便捷的方式返乡过年。
在深圳某电子厂工作的周光荣是一名退伍军人，摩托车曾是他过年回家的主力工具。“以前，我们桂林在一个厂打工的老乡，基本上都是骑车回家。今年，老乡们都劝我不要骑车了，太危险。我现在每个月工资5000多元，没什么想不通的。回家路上当然安全第一。”坐在D2904次高铁上，周光荣笑着说。
对于那些依旧选择了摩托车回乡的人们而言，虽然人数越来越少，但一路上享受到的服务一如往常。春节前某一天，在佛山一高速路口的加油站旁，几名骑摩托车返乡人员边聊天，边等候免费加油。加油站工作人员告诉记者，这项由中石化和共青团广东省委联合发起的“情暖驿站 满爱回家”爱心公益活动，今年还在照常进行，只是前来加油的人越来越少了。
满载着613名在粤务工人员的列车，缓缓驶出站台。透过车窗，可以看到一位乘客正出神地望着窗外，似乎并不吝于拿出点时间，来享受踏上归途后的片刻惬意。
(本报记者 吴春燕 王忠耀 本报通讯员 曾勇)
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.
