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 White House Council of Economic Advisers' Imaginary Cost of Illegal Immigrants
English Summary
This analysis refutes the White House Council of Economic Advisers' (CEA) claim that illegal immigrants impose massive, unsustainable costs on taxpayers. The author argues that the CEA's estimates are flawed because they incorrectly assume full welfare eligibility and fail to account for tax contributions, mortality, and emigration. Evidence shows that illegal immigrants are net fiscal contributors, paying significant taxes that offset benefits, and that their presence has historically reduced federal deficits. Policymakers should therefore disregard the CEA's projections, as the data suggests that both mass deportation and granting amnesty would not be fiscally beneficial.
中文摘要
本分析反駁了白宮經濟顧問委員會（CEA）關於非法移民會給納稅人帶來龐大且不可持續成本的說法。作者指出，CEA的估算存在缺陷，因為其錯誤地假設了全面的福利資格，且未能計入移民的稅收貢獻、死亡人數以及外移情況。證據顯示，非法移民實際上是淨財政貢獻者，他們繳納了可抵銷福利的巨額稅款，且其存在歷史上曾降低了聯邦赤字。因此，政策制定者應忽略CEA的預測，因為資料表明，無論是進行大規模驅逐出境還是授予大赦，在財政上均並非有利的。
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