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 Iran War at Six Months: A Region—and Its Relationship With the U.S.—Transformed
English Summary
Six months after the U.S.-Israel attack on Iran, experts conclude that Washington has suffered a strategic defeat due to underestimating Iran's resilience and capacity for resistance. The conflict has significantly heightened regional instability, fueling sophisticated online propaganda from Tehran that creates a dangerous content advantage for radicalization efforts against U.S. interests. Furthermore, the war is paradoxically benefiting Turkey, which is consolidating its power through new regional security agreements, thus reducing overall U.S. influence in the Middle East. Policymakers must urgently counter Iran's ideological warfare and prepare for a shifting balance of power that diminishes American hegemony.
中文摘要
專家指出，在美國對伊朗發動攻擊六個月後，華盛頓因低估了伊朗的韌性及抵抗能力，已遭受戰略上的失敗。這場衝突極大地加劇了區域不穩定性，並助長了德黑蘭精心策劃的線上宣傳，為針對美國利益的激進化努力創造了危險的內容優勢。此外，戰爭產生了悖論性的效應：它正在使土耳其受益，該國正透過新的區域安全協議鞏固自身權力，從而削弱了美國在中東地區的整體影響力。政策制定者必須緊急應對伊朗的意識形態戰，並為一個逐漸消退美式霸權的、不斷變化的力量平衡做好準備。
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