基层养老服务如何加强？专家提六方面建议******
中新网1月18日电(记者 张尼)“对一些特殊的老年人，孤寡老年人、失能半失能的老年人，特别是农村这部分特殊困难的老年人，要给予一些必要的补助，帮助他们进入到农村的养老保障体系。”原卫生部部长高强近日在2023中国社会养老大会上表示。
15日，由中国小康建设研究会主办的2023中国社会养老大会暨中国乡村振兴共同富裕万尊兴万村社会管理师培训启动仪式通过线上、线下相结合的方式在北京、成都两地同期举办，大会围绕新形势下的新养老进行政策解读，着重解决好老年人最关心、最现实、最直接的突出问题。
农业农村部乡村振兴专家咨询委员会委员、中国小康建设研究会高级专家尹成杰表示，农村的老龄人口比重比较大，所以发展社会养老服务艰巨繁重的问题也是在农村。
“我国农村老龄化程度高，发展不平衡、不充分的地方也主要是在在农村，所以老龄事业服务的薄弱环节也仍然在农村。”
如何在全面推进乡村振兴过程中大力加强基本养老服务的工作？
尹成杰提出六方面建议：一是要坚持城乡基本养老事业和服务的统筹发展；二是要加快建设乡村基本养老事业发展和服务的体系；三是要加快补齐乡村基本养老服务短板；四是要加强县级养老机构对失能老人的照顾和服务；五是要进一步加强乡村社会保障制度建设；六是应进一步加强农村卫生医疗体系建设。
“要建立健全农村卫生医疗体系，为乡村老年人提供及时高效的医疗服务。要根据农村老年人的健康状况、医疗需求，建立多元化的医疗服务业态。”他表示。
谈及孤寡老人、困难老人等遇到的养老问题时，高强建议，要对一些特殊的老年人，孤寡老年人、失能半失能的老年人，特别是农村这部分特殊困难的老年人，给予一些必要的补助，帮助他们进入到农村的养老保障体系。
他还建议要为老年人，特别是存在特殊困难的老年人制定特殊的医疗保险政策；把孤寡老人和失能半失能老人的护理费用列入医疗保险范围；建立长期的护理保险制度，等等。
全国人大农业与农村委员会副主任、中国供销合作经济学会会长李春生则提出，要形成正向的激励和导向，引导和支持社会各界参与到养老事业中来，形成政府主导，社会各方积极参与的养老事业发展的新格局；形成居家社区机构相协调，医疗康养相结合的养老服务体系，让老年人真正实现老有所依、老有所养。
另外记者了解到，第八届中国社会养老创新发展论坛将于3月在兰州举办。(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.
