重庆万州：待到枫香层林染 且把美景揽入怀******
有些风景，记在脑中，念在心上。
从万州城区出发，经G5012高速到龙驹下道，再沿龙白路方向走5公里，会看到一个自驾车辆停靠区，石碑上赫然刻写“三峡恒合旅游度假区”，这是古枫香园必经之地。顺着山路再爬升，眼前的风景移步换形、物换星移。
三峡古枫香园全景。恒合土家族乡政府供图
驱车大约30分钟，映入眼帘的是一个海拔约1200米的山间盆地，造型别致的民宿散落其间，天可作帐，地可当床，三千枫香在身旁。举目四顾，披着绿色植被的山脉错落层叠，视线与平日只能仰望的七曜山风车齐平。此行的目的地，三峡恒合旅游度假区核心景区——三峡古枫香园到了。
古枫香树、古松树、悬崖景观堪称园内三绝。保存完好的古枫香林，尤为让人惊艳，叶片入秋经霜，幻为春红，艳丽夺目。其中拥有100年以上树龄的古枫香树521株，最大的一株主干高26米，胸径长5米，4个成年人才能合围环抱，相传是蜀汉南浦县民栽种。
三峡古枫香园入口一角。记者 张倩 摄
枫木岭有土家天境，游目骋怀，数十里山川尽收眼底；空灵静寂的林中栈道，有上有下、林间清凉，行走其间，悠悠然然。
然而这些大自然的馈赠，只为衬托三栋民宿：枫香里、枫香驿、枫香谣。它们被建筑在万千风景里，成了风景的一部分。
枫香谣主体以土家吊脚楼风格修建，环境搭配运用老磨盘、老石缸、老陶罐、老木槽、老石料、带皮树枝等元素，极具地域民俗风情；枫香驿采用LOFT星空房、枫叶红颜色的大铝板门头、金属廊架等进行修建，搭配彩色玻璃瓶、钢板刻字等装饰，简约又不失华丽；枫香里造型呈“枫叶形“，环境搭配运用飘落的金属枫叶、“枫香记、南山影”激光投影、《蜀国弦》景墙、“莲花为你开”互动装置等元素，展现出独特的魅力。
民宿区的彩色公路。记者 张倩 摄
民宿所用之一物一器，无不收集自民间。院落大门为斑驳石头砌成；长约一米的老树根和青石被镂空作为花盆，置于大厅；房间内的凳子是一截树桩，也可能是一块石头，篮子则是竹丝编制而成。
如今，在“生态优先绿色发展”理念引领下，三峡古枫香园化作高山休闲避暑的热门目的地，成为八方游客热情拥抱的“诗和远方”。山色半岭、土家天境、廪君台、1314观景台……这些被文人墨客命名的景点，蕴藏着绿水青山的烂漫。中国五大赏枫胜地之一、全国森林康养基地、三峡最美山岭、重庆避暑胜地……随便一个梦寐以求的“标签”，都是爱上这里的理由。
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.
