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.
Data center moratoriums are not a substitute for oversight
English Summary
The Brookings Institution argues that while community backlash has prompted states and localities to consider moratoriums on data center construction, these pauses are not a complete solution to managing AI's rapid infrastructure growth. The core finding is that temporary bans fail because they do not address fundamental issues of transparency or resource accountability, such as environmental impact, water usage, and electricity rate hikes. Instead of outright bans, policymakers must implement robust 'responsible guardrails,' focusing on mandatory oversight mechanisms like community benefit agreements and enhanced data sharing. Strategically, the focus should shift to protecting ratepayers and ensuring that new facilities are built with safeguards that serve local communities rather than merely accelerating national technological momentum.
中文摘要
布魯金斯學會指出，儘管社區的反彈促使各州和地方政府考慮對資料中心建設實施暫停令（moratorium），但這些暫時的停頓並不能徹底解決管理人工智慧快速基礎設施增長的難題。核心發現是，臨時禁令之所以失敗，是因為它們未能處理透明度或資源問責制等根本性問題，例如環境影響、水資源消耗和電費上漲。政策制定者不應採取全面禁令，而必須實施健全的「責任護欄」（responsible guardrails），重點關注強制性的監督機制，如社區利益協定（community benefit agreements）和數據共享的強化。從戰略角度來看，焦點應轉移到保護用戶繳費者（ratepayers）的權益，並確保新建設施具備服務當地社群而非僅加速國家技術動能的保障措施。
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