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.
Bill Clinton Signs the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
English Summary
The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), a landmark arms control agreement, remains in a state of legal limbo due to the failure of key global powers to ratify it. While the treaty has strong international support and the CTBTO monitors global activity, political opposition in the U.S. and non-ratification by major states (such as China and India) prevent its full enforcement. This status quo maintains an informal global ban on testing but leaves the strategic stability of the nuclear arsenal vulnerable to political shifts or actions by non-compliant states. Continued diplomatic efforts are required to secure universal ratification and solidify the global commitment to nuclear non-proliferation.
中文摘要
全面核禁試條約（CTBT）是一項里程碑式的軍備控制協定，但由於主要全球大國未能批准，該條約目前仍處於法律上的懸而未決狀態。儘管該條約獲得了廣泛的國際支持，且CTBTO持續監測全球活動，但美國的政治阻力，以及中國和印度等主要國家尚未批准，阻礙了其全面執行。這種現狀雖然維持了非正式的全球禁試狀態，卻使得核武庫的戰略穩定性容易受到政治變動或不遵守國家行動的影響。因此，持續的外交努力對於確保普遍批准和鞏固全球不擴散的承諾至關重要。
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