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.
Xi’s party: What to look for at the upcoming Chinese Communist Party plenum
English Summary
The upcoming CCP plenum is characterized by Xi Jinping's continued, sweeping anti-corruption purges, which are destabilizing the party elite and the military command structure. Key evidence includes the purges of multiple Politburo members and the near-decapitation of the Central Military Commission (CMC), indicating Xi's deep dissatisfaction with the current power structure. The primary finding is that Xi's relentless purges have created a profound crisis of trust, making it difficult for him to reconstitute a reliable high command. Strategically, this suggests that Xi's political isolation and inability to fully trust his remaining allies pose a significant long-term challenge to his stability and effective governance in his fourth term.
中文摘要
即將召開的中共全會的特點是習近平持續進行大規模的反腐清洗，此舉正在動搖黨內精英和軍方指揮結構。關鍵證據包括多名政治局成員被清洗，以及中央軍事委員會（CMC）高層的近乎「 decapitation」（核心人物被清除），這表明習近平對現有的權力結構深感不滿。主要發現是，習近平無情的清洗行動造成了深刻的信任危機，使他難以重組一個可靠的高級指揮層。從戰略角度來看，這暗示了習近平的政治孤立和無法完全信任其剩餘盟友，對他在第四個任期內穩定性和有效治理構成了重大的長期挑戰。
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