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.
Why NATO and the Transatlantic Bond Will Outlast Trump
English Summary
The article argues that despite political volatility and threats from figures like Trump, the transatlantic alliance is fundamentally robust because both the US and Europe share critical mutual interests. This bond is sustained by deep economic ties ($2T+ trade) and the shared necessity of deterring Russian aggression on NATO's eastern flank, which makes a strategic divorce highly unlikely. For policy, Europe must adopt a strategy of pragmatic engagement—working within current political realities while aggressively increasing its defense spending to build capability. While self-reliance is necessary, the analysis cautions that true strategic autonomy remains politically challenging and requires continued reliance on US military power.
中文摘要
本文論述，儘管面臨政治不穩定和來自川普等人物的威脅，跨大西洋聯盟（transatlantic alliance）本質上依然穩固，因為美國與歐洲共享關鍵的共同利益。這種聯繫由深厚的經濟紐帶（超過兩萬億美元貿易額）以及共同遏制俄羅斯在北約東翼侵略的需求所維繫，使得「戰略脫鉤」（strategic divorce）的可能性極低。對於政策層面而言，歐洲必須採取務實參與的策略——即在當前的政治現實框架內運作，同時積極增加國防開支以提升能力。雖然自立自強是必要的，但分析指出，真正的戰略自主仍具備政治挑戰性，且需要持續依賴美國的軍事力量。
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