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.
The right dome for America
English Summary
The article critiques the feasibility and immense cost of a proposed 'Golden Dome,' a massive, multi-tiered missile defense system designed to counter all-out nuclear attacks. While acknowledging technological progress, the analysis argues that the system is unrealistic, citing the CBO's $1.2 trillion estimate and fundamental physical limitations, such as the difficulty of distinguishing decoys and the 'absentee ratio' in orbit. Consequently, the author advises against pursuing a full-scale defense, recommending instead a more modest, transparent, and limited system focused on credible protection against specific, accidental, or coercive threat scenarios.
中文摘要
本文批判了提議的「黃金穹頂」（Golden Dome）——一個旨在應對全面核攻擊的巨大多層級飛彈防禦系統——的實行性及其極高的成本。儘管承認技術進步，但分析指出該系統缺乏現實基礎，援引國會預算辦公室（CBO）估算的 1.2 兆美元成本，並指出識別誘餌（decoys）的困難性以及軌道中的「缺席比率」（absentee ratio）等根本物理限制。因此，作者建議不應追求全規模的防禦系統，而應轉而建議建立一個更為務實、透明且有限的系統，專注於針對特定、意外或強制性威脅情境提供可信的保護。
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