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.
How I Got My Career in Foreign Policy: Edward Fishman
English Summary
The modern practice of foreign policy necessitates the convergence of traditional diplomacy with expertise in technology, finance, and business operations. Fishman's career path demonstrates that effective statecraft increasingly relies on economic statecraft, exemplified by the successful use of sanctions against Iran and Russia, which proved more viable than military intervention. For policy, this implies that future strategies must integrate deep knowledge of global financial markets and tech ecosystems to craft comprehensive, non-military tools of power. Policymakers should therefore prioritize developing interdisciplinary talent that can bridge the gap between national security objectives and private sector economic realities.
中文摘要
現代外交實踐要求傳統外交學與科技、金融及商業營運等專業知識進行融合。Fishman的職業生涯軌跡顯示，有效的國家治理日益依賴經濟治國術，例如對伊朗和俄羅斯成功實施制裁，其可行性甚至超越了軍事干預。從政策層面來看，這意味著未來戰略必須整合對全球金融市場和科技生態系統的深層了解，以打造全面的非軍事權力工具。因此，政策制定者應優先培養跨學科人才，使其能夠彌合國家安全目標與私營部門經濟現實之間的鴻溝。
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