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.
In Hardwick, Vermont, art, dinner, and disaster response all share the same table
English Summary
The article argues that strong social capital and local community institutions are critical for the resilience and recovery of small, rural towns following catastrophic natural disasters. In Hardwick, Vermont, the local cultural center, The Civic Standard, stepped in to provide comprehensive aid, demonstrating that deep community connections and informal social networks proved more vital than formal infrastructure during the crisis. Policy implications suggest that federal disaster response strategies must shift to recognize and actively support these grassroots, civic-led organizations, thereby strengthening local social resilience rather than solely focusing on top-down infrastructure fixes.
中文摘要
本文論述，穩固的社會資本和當地的社區機構對於小規模、鄉村城鎮在經歷災難性自然災害後實現韌性與復原力至關重要。在佛蒙特州的哈德威克（Hardwick），當地文化中心「公民標準」（The Civic Standard）介入提供全面援助，證明了深厚的社群連結和非正式的社會網絡，在危機期間比正式基礎設施更具生命力。政策意涵指出，聯邦災難應對策略必須轉變，以承認並積極支持這些基層、由公民主導的組織，從而強化地方的社會韌性，而非僅專注於自上而下的基礎設施修復。
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