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.
Inside Cuba’s Mass Exodus: How Losing a Quarter of the Population Has Changed the Island
English Summary
The unprecedented mass exodus from Cuba, estimated at up to a quarter of the population since 2020, represents a demographic crisis that will undermine any future recovery. This outflow is driven by a confluence of chronic economic mismanagement, the collapse of state services, and political repression, resulting in a severe 'brain drain' of skilled workers and a disproportionate loss of young, reproductive-age women. The key finding is that the resulting demographic decay—a rapidly aging and shrinking population—is the most profound challenge, regardless of whether external sanctions are lifted or investment returns. Policymakers must recognize that Cuba's future development must be strategically planned for a significantly smaller and older society.
中文摘要
自2020年以來，庫巴經歷了前所未有的大規模人口外流，估計流出人數高達其總人口的四分之一。這構成了一場人口結構危機，將嚴重阻礙其任何形式的未來復甦。此類外流是長期經濟管理失當、國家服務體系崩潰以及政治壓迫等多重因素共同作用的結果，導致了熟練勞工的嚴重「人才外流」（brain drain），並造成了年輕、生育年齡女性群體的不成比例流失。關鍵發現指出，由此產生的人口衰退——即一個快速老齡化且縮小的社會結構——是最大的挑戰，無論外部制裁是否解除或投資回報率如何。政策制定者必須正視，庫巴的未來發展必須為一個顯著規模更小且更老化的社會結構進行戰略性規劃。
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