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.
The Missing Pillar of U.S. Strategy: Forging a New Energy Partnership for the Americas
English Summary
The article argues that the U.S.'s future technological leadership, particularly in the AI era, hinges on securing massive, reliable energy and critical mineral supply chains that currently exceed domestic capacity. The U.S. must therefore pivot its regional strategy in the Americas from narrow defensive priorities to a comprehensive energy and supply chain focus. To counter global choke points and compete with Chinese influence, the U.S. should pursue integrated, commercial partnerships across the Western Hemisphere. This approach, centered on bankable deals for cross-border energy and mineral infrastructure, is necessary to generate mutual prosperity and sustain American industrialization and innovation.
中文摘要
本文論述，美國未來在技術領域的領導地位，特別是在人工智慧時代，關鍵取決於確保大規模且可靠的能源和關鍵礦物供應鏈，而這些供應鏈目前已超出美國國內的承載能力。因此，美國必須將其美洲的區域戰略，從狹隘的防禦性優先事項，轉向全面性的能源與供應鏈重點。為應對全球的瓶頸效應並與中國的影響力競爭，美國應推動在整個西半球範圍內建立整合性的商業夥伴關係。這種以跨國能源和礦產基礎設施的「可融資交易」（bankable deals）為核心的方法，對於創造共同繁榮、維持美國的工業化和創新發展是至關必要的。
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