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.
Brazil’s 2026 Election: What to Know About the Lula-Bolsonaro Runoff
English Summary
The 2026 Brazilian runoff election is poised to redefine the nation's regional and international posture, with candidates offering sharply contrasting foreign policy visions—from Lula's multilateralism and Global South focus to Bolsonaro's emphasis on stronger US ties. While the election is driven by personalistic rivalry rather than policy, the resulting government faces the strategic challenge of balancing its two largest trading partners, the United States and China. Experts conclude that regardless of the winner, Brazil's economic dependence on both Washington and Beijing necessitates a policy of pragmatic multi-alignment. Therefore, the core strategic implication is that Brazil will continue to pursue a non-aligned foreign policy, leveraging its position to maintain sovereignty while navigating great power competition.
中文摘要
2026年巴西的第二輪選舉預計將重新定義該國的區域和國際立場。候選人提出的外交政策願景差異極大，從盧拉（Lula）倡導的多邊主義和全球南方（Global South）焦點，到博索納羅（Bolsonaro）強調加強與美國關係的路線，各不相同。儘管本次選舉的驅動力更多是個人化的競爭而非政策論述，但無論誰當選，新政府都將面臨一個戰略挑戰：如何平衡其兩大貿易夥伴——美國和中國。專家們總結指出，無論選舉結果如何，巴西對華盛頓和北京的經濟依賴性，都使其必須採取務實的多軸平衡政策。因此，核心戰略意涵是，巴西將持續推動非結盟的外交政策，利用其戰略地位來維護主權，同時在當前的大國競爭格局中周旋。
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