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.
They Won’t Say It Out Loud, but Asian Leaders Are Happy About the Midterms
English Summary
Asian leaders are privately optimistic following the US midterms, anticipating a shift toward more predictable and cooperative US foreign policy, particularly regarding the destabilizing Iran conflict and trade tariffs. This hope is fueled by the political upheaval in the US, which is expected to force the new Congress to adopt a tougher, bipartisan approach on critical issues like Taiwan arms sales and China. However, the brief warns that this optimism is fragile, noting that the unpredictable nature of the current administration means these hopes could quickly become a 'fantasy,' potentially leading to renewed, damaging military actions in the region.
中文摘要
在美國中期選舉之後，亞洲領導人私下抱持樂觀情緒，預期美國的外交政策將轉向更具可預測性和合作性，特別是在處理伊朗衝突和貿易關稅方面。這種希望源於美國的政治動盪，預計新國會將在台灣武器銷售和中國等關鍵議題上採取更為堅定且具備兩黨合作性質的方針。然而，本報告警告，這種樂觀情緒是脆弱的，指出當前政府的不確定性意味著這些希望可能迅速淪為「幻想」，甚至可能導致該地區重新發生破壞性的軍事行動。
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