The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Why can’t the United States end allies’ wars?
English Summary
The Brookings report argues that U.S. influence over allies' wars is diminishing, making it increasingly difficult for Washington to shape partners’ decisions on war termination or operational design. Analysis of recent conflicts (e.g., Ukraine, Yemen) reveals that divergence naturally emerges between the US and its partner regarding shared end goals, compounded by the erosion of domestic political support for protracted warfare. To mitigate this loss of leverage, the report advises that U.S. strategy must prioritize defining clear, transparent end-state agreements at the conflict's outset. Furthermore, Washington must maintain disciplined interagency messaging and design diplomatic strategies aimed directly at adversaries, rather than relying solely on pressuring its partners.
中文摘要
布魯金斯智庫的報告指出，美國對盟國戰爭的影響力正在減弱，使得華盛頓難以塑造夥伴在戰爭結束或作戰設計方面的決策。分析近期衝突（例如烏克蘭、葉門）顯示，由於國內政治支持長期戰爭的基礎動搖，美方與其夥伴之間在共同終局目標上自然產生了分歧。為緩解這種影響力的流失，報告建議美國的策略必須將重點放在戰事初期定義清晰透明的終局協議。此外，華盛頓必須保持紀律化的跨機構溝通，並設計直接針對敵對方的外交策略，而非僅依賴施壓其盟友。
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