中新网评：“内幕交易”揭开美式“金钱民主”的黑幕

中新网北京10月21日电(蒋鲤)美国《纽约时报》披露，从2019年到2021年，美国国会里近百名议员在进行股票证券交易时，疑似利用职权提前获取内幕消息。

另有《华尔街日报》报道称，经其调查发现，数千名美国政府行政部门官员报告持有或交易的股票，会因其所在部门的决定而出现涨跌。       

图说：纽约时报截图。

据《华尔街日报》分析，约240名卫生机构和国防部(疫苗推广的关键参与者)联邦官员报告称，他们拥有总计900万到2800万美元的药品、制造和生物技术公司的股票，这些公司在2020年和2021年赢得了与新冠疫情相关的联邦合同。

美国政府官员利用提前掌握的政策信息谋求个人利益，把国会当成致富的场所，凭借自己对政策变化的了解，找准时间购买和抛售股票，赚得盆满钵满。新冠疫情、乌克兰危机……在这些“股神”眼里都是生意。

乌克兰危机前夕，不少国会议员提前购入美国军工企业的股票。危机不断升级，拜登政府向乌克兰提供了大量军事援助，这些股票也迎来大涨。

了解内幕的美国议员们把他们接触到的有利信息转化为金钱，这不仅违反了联邦证券法，还破坏了公众对市场公平性的信任和信心。

尽管大多数美国民众都支持禁止议员炒股，并呼吁国会立法来阻止这一现象，但美国两党绝大部分议员纷纷站出来反对，甚至美国众议院院长南希•佩洛西也公开表示反对这种禁令。

在巨大的利益面前，国会进行自我监管的可能性极低。早在2012年，美国就通过了《停止利用国会消息交易法案》，禁止议员进行内幕交易，然而这部法律处罚力度极低，几乎没有震慑力。

其实，从国会议员利用“内幕消息”进行股票交易，到总统和议员席位竞选用钱铺路，都印证了美式民主是“金钱民主”、“钱主政治”，这种民主更代表富人的利益。美国国会大多数议员都是百万富翁，很多国会议员拼了命地要胜选连任，美国的决策到底为谁服务不言自明。

美国政客们为了当选，拉票时说得天花烂坠，选举完后就把民众抛一边。手握权力者投机钻营，通过非法手段聚拢财富，标榜“自由、公平”的“美式民主”听上去冠冕堂皇，但是掀开其所谓的“美式民主”面纱，人们发现，它早已被金钱淹没。（完）

‘Insider dealing’ uncovers ‘money-dominated’ U.S. democracy

(ECNS) – The New York Times has reported that at least 97 current members of Congress are suspected of using insider information to buy and sell stocks from 2019 to 2021.

And according to an investigation conducted by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ)， thousands of federal officials were found to have been making decisions in their respective government agencies that had a direct effect on stocks they owned or traded.

WSJ’s analysis found that about 240 officials at health agencies and the Pentagon, a key player in the vaccine rollout, reported owning a total of between $9 million and $28 million in stocks of drug, manufacturing and biotechnology companies that won federal contracts related to Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021.

U.S. government officials use the Congress as a tool to make their fortunes, using insider information to trade stocks. The Covid-19 pandemic, Ukraine crisis and other global events have become their business opportunities.

Members of the Congress purchased energy and defense stocks prior to the Ukraine crisis and these stocks rose greatly after the U.S. announced it would provide military assistance to Ukraine.

These people cash in on insider information, which has violated U.S. Federal Securities Laws and destroyed public confidence and trust in a fair market.

Although the public supports the ban on their trading stocks and call on the Congress to legislate, the majority of both parties disagree to this proposal, with even Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, publicly opposing such kind of ban.

Self-supervision of the Congress is hardly possible in the face of huge interests. In fact, in 2012, the Congress passed a STOCK Act to make it illegal for its members to engage in insider trading. However, it has showed very low deterrence due to its light punishment.

Either insider trading or money-manipulated President and Congress member election has proved that U.S.-style democracy is dominated by money, which protects the interests of the wealthy more than that of the ordinary people.

The Congress members, most of whom are millionaires, are desperate to win re-election, which further confirms that government decisions works for the rich.

U.S. politicians indulge in empty talk when canvassing but don’t care about the voters after they win elections. Those in power speculate and gain wealth by illegal means. The U.S.-style democracy which boasts freedom and fairness has already been kidnapped by money.