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.
Are the U.S. Midterms Vulnerable to Foreign Meddling?
English Summary
Adversarial state actors, including Russia, China, and Iran, continue to wage sophisticated influence operations aimed at sowing domestic discord and undermining the legitimacy of U.S. elections. While outright election interference remains highly difficult due to the decentralized nature of U.S. voting systems, the threat is escalating, particularly with the potential turbocharge of artificial intelligence. The article warns that the rollback of protective government initiatives has significantly increased vulnerability, allowing foreign powers to pursue low-cost campaigns of disinformation and propaganda. Policymakers must urgently restore and strengthen national defenses against influence operations to safeguard democratic institutions and maintain political stability.
中文摘要
包括俄羅斯、中國和伊朗在內的敵對國家行為者，持續進行複雜的影響作戰，旨在播下國內不和，並削弱美國選舉的合法性。雖然由於美國投票系統的分散性質，直接干預選舉極為困難，但威脅正在升級，特別是隨著人工智慧（AI）的潛在加速推動。本文警告指出，保護性政府倡議的倒退，顯著增加了脆弱性，使得外國勢力能夠進行低成本的虛假資訊和宣傳活動。政策制定者必須緊急恢復和加強國家層面的防禦機制，以保護民主制度並維持政治穩定。
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