福建永定：古建筑“福”文化的传承延续******
中新网福建永定2月3日电 (黄秋萍)“福”文化是源自中国的民俗文化，它的涵盖面非常广，伴随中华民族几千年历史文明的变迁与发展，如今已经渗透到了人们生活的方方面面中。
在福建省龙岩市永定区蕴藏着丰富多彩的“福”文化，在古建筑、古民居、古石碑等，刻留着“福”字的图案和形制，其饱含着先人的智慧与情感，展现了深厚的历史积淀和文化底蕴，也寄托了大家对美好生活的期盼和向往。
东南亚著名锡矿大王胡子春的故居荣禄第，位于永定区下洋镇富川村豪仕窠自然村内，该宅始建于清光绪二十九年(1903年)，是永定古民居建筑的典范和代表。2018年，荣禄第古民居整体被福建省人民政府定为省级文物保护单位。
来到荣禄第，首先看到的是大门门楣上方红墙上的“荣禄第”三个大字，大门嵌字对联“荣叨祖德禄受皇恩”，是清光绪皇帝御赐，而门楣上“福”“禄”两个石刻门簪，以篆书为基础，配合龙纹造型组合而成，图饰均匀，形象逼真，近乎游离腾飞，具有很高的艺术欣赏价值，象征着楼主三次捐资三百万两白银给清廷，受封“荣禄大夫”的荣耀。据悉，“龙纹”图案，在一般建筑构建或装饰中，是不能轻易使用的。
“胡子春乐善好施，在当时清政府内忧外患的时候，先后三次捐资300万两白银建铁路、扩海军、开琼矿，并在国内开办中华学校等(九所)中小学，被清政府封为邮传尚书、荣禄大夫等。门楣上‘荣禄第’三字，还有旁边的对联‘荣叨祖德，禄受皇恩’，这些都是清光绪皇帝的御笔。”永定区下洋镇富川村村干部胡电光说。
荣禄第还收藏慈禧太后的“福”“寿”两字的墨宝，该“福”字黄色绢底，爪龙纹红地，书法圆润、秀敛。在厅堂、屋檐、门槛，门楹、窗棂边，还有一些彩塑、石雕、木雕，以蝙蝠、龙、鹿、花草等为题材，表示吉祥如意，雕画生动形象，内容丰富，工艺精巧，虽历经风雨，依旧保存完整。
“福”不仅是一个字符，其背后更承载着人们的精神寄托和美好诉求。如今，在乡村振兴的道路上，永定区下洋镇通过深挖不同的乡土文化根脉，做到以文化人、以文养德。而“福”文化在本土的传承延续中，早已潜移默化、内化于心，塑造着人们的价值理念，成为砥砺前行的强大动力。(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.
