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.
Repairing America’s signaling on Taiwan
English Summary
The article argues that despite strengthening material ties between the U.S. and Taiwan, America's credibility regarding its commitment to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait is severely eroded. This decline is attributed to political rhetoric, which has exposed the U.S. narrative as muddled, particularly when security commitments are treated as 'negotiating chips.' The analysis stresses that deterrence relies not just on military capabilities, but on clear and consistent signals of intent. For future administrations, the key strategic implication is to rebuild confidence by unequivocally opposing unilateral changes to the status quo while maintaining an open path for peaceful cross-strait dialogue.
中文摘要
本文指出，儘管美台之間的實質聯繫日益緊密，美國在維護台灣海峽現狀的承諾方面的可信度卻嚴重動搖。這種衰退歸因於其政治言論，使得美國的敘事顯得模糊不清，尤其當安全承諾被視為「談判籌碼」時。分析強調，威懾力不僅取決於軍事能力，更取決於清晰且一致的意圖訊號。對於未來政府而言，關鍵的戰略啟示是：必須透過堅決反對任何單方面改變現狀，同時維持兩岸和平對話的開放途徑，來重建信心。
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