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.
Can the United States Lead Through Transactional Foreign Policy?
English Summary
The publication argues that the U.S.'s adoption of a transactional foreign policy is dismantling the stable, post-World War II global order, creating widespread geopolitical uncertainty. This instability is evidenced by the lack of clear U.S. commitment in Europe, the intense and unpredictable AI rivalry with China, and the protracted strategic challenges in the Middle East. Consequently, the global system is predicted to transition into a messy, hybrid structure of competing coalitions, moving away from clear great-power alignments. This shift necessitates that policymakers develop novel strategies to navigate a highly fragmented and unpredictable international environment.
中文摘要
該出版物論點指出，美國採取交易型外交政策正在瓦解穩定、戰後二戰的全球秩序，從而造成廣泛的地緣政治不確定性。這種不穩定性體現在美國在歐洲缺乏明確的承諾、與中國之間激烈且不可預測的AI競爭，以及中東地區持續的戰略挑戰。因此，全球體系預計將轉型為一種混亂的、由競爭性聯盟組成的混合結構，遠離清晰的大國陣營劃分。這一轉變要求政策制定者必須制定新穎的策略，以應對高度碎片化且不可預測的國際環境。
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