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 U.S.-Led Middle East Order Is Over. The Mecca Agreement Proves It.
English Summary
The article argues that the decades-long U.S.-led regional order in the Middle East has ended, driven by the increasing self-reliance of local powers. Key evidence is the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, which signals a shift toward regional security pacts independent of Washington's influence. This trend, coupled with decades of U.S. policy inconsistency and withdrawal from conflicts, implies that the Middle East is fragmenting into competing power blocs, fundamentally reducing American strategic primacy in the region.
中文摘要
本文論述，由於當地勢力自主性的日益增強，數十年來由美國主導的中東區域秩序已經終結。關鍵證據是巴基斯坦、沙烏地阿拉伯和土耳其簽署的麥加聯合防禦協定，這標誌著地區安全盟約正轉向獨立於華盛頓影響力的模式。這種趨勢，結合數十年來美國政策的不穩定性及其從衝突中撤退的行為，暗示著中東正在分裂成相互競爭的權力集團，根本上削弱了美國在该地區的戰略主導地位。
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