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.
Insurgency-Related Conflict
English Summary
Modern insurgency-related conflicts are complex, long-term threats that increasingly leverage transnational extremist networks, global rivalries, and emerging technologies like AI and drones. Effective policy responses must move beyond simple military suppression, recognizing that local legitimacy and political economy are more critical than sheer force capacity. Policymakers should adopt strategic frameworks—such as Monitor, Contain, Defend, or Transform—to tailor interventions based on U.S. interests and the conflict's stakes. Ultimately, achieving durable peace requires deep understanding of local dynamics, sustained diplomatic engagement, and long-term planning that addresses root grievances rather than just military symptoms.
中文摘要
現代叛亂相關衝突是複雜、長期威脅，它們日益利用跨國極端主義網絡、全球競爭格局以及人工智慧（AI）和無人機等新興技術。有效的政策應對必須超越單純的軍事鎮壓，認識到地方合法性與政治經濟結構比單純的武力投射能力更為關鍵。政策制定者應採納戰略框架——例如「監測、遏制、防禦或轉型」等模型——來根據美國的利益和衝突的風險程度量身定制干預措施。最終，實現持久和平需要深入了解地方動態、持續的外交參與，以及著眼於解決根本積怨而非僅處理軍事症狀的長期規劃。
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