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.
How I Got My Career in Foreign Policy: Bruce Hoffman
English Summary
Hoffman argues that governments are fundamentally less effective at learning from security threats than terrorists are, noting a pattern of overreaction followed by dangerous complacency. He uses his decades of research to demonstrate how policy responses—particularly post-9/11—often fail to institutionalize lessons learned, creating exploitable vulnerabilities. The primary strategic implication is the urgent need for consistent and stable counterterrorism policies that avoid cyclical extremes or reactive measures. Furthermore, he warns policymakers against politicizing the definition of terrorism, stressing that such labeling undermines objective analysis and effective statecraft.
中文摘要
霍夫曼（Hoffman）指出，政府在從安全威脅中學習的能力，根本上不如恐怖分子。他觀察到一種「過度反應」隨後接續「危險自滿」的模式。憑藉數十年的研究成果，他證明了政策回應——特別是九一一事件之後的政策制定——往往未能將經驗教訓制度化，從而製造出可被利用的漏洞。主要的戰略啟示是，迫切需要建立一致且穩定的反恐政策，避免陷入循環極端或單純的應對性措施。此外，他警告政策制定者不要將恐怖主義的定義政治化，強調此類標籤化會損害客觀分析和有效的國家治理（statecraft）。
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