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.
Saudi Arabia still views the US as its main strategic partner – despite Trump’s nuclear agreement conditions
English Summary
Saudi Arabia (KSA) views the United States as its primary strategic partner while simultaneously asserting a more proactive role in regional security. This shift is evidenced by KSA signing a civilian nuclear deal and leading initiatives like the Red Sea maritime coalition, demonstrating self-reliance amidst escalating regional threats. By taking charge of critical stability issues—particularly energy flow and maritime security—KSA is leveraging its indispensable value to Washington. Consequently, Riyadh aims to redefine the partnership on shared interests rather than being constrained by single political objectives, such as immediate normalization with Israel.
中文摘要
沙特阿拉伯（KSA）將美國視為主要的戰略夥伴，但同時也主張在區域安全事務中扮演更主動的角色。這一轉變體現在沙特簽署了民用核能協議，並帶領紅海海上聯盟等倡議，顯示其在日益升級的地區威脅面前展現出自力更生的能力。透過主導關鍵穩定議題——特別是能源流動和海事安全——沙特正在利用自身不可或缺的價值來影響華盛頓。因此，利雅得旨在將雙邊夥伴關係重新定義為基於共同利益，而非受限於單一政治目標，例如與以色列立即實現正常化。
Related Entries
-
1.
-
2.
The article argues that Donald Trump's unique and prolonged lame-duck period, coupled with domestic political pressures, makes him dangerously prone to international instability. Having exhausted major diplomatic gambits, Trump is expected to channel his energy into high-stakes, unilateral actions, primarily targeting adversaries such as Iran and Cuba. These potential actions—ranging from fresh strikes in the Persian Gulf to attempts at regime change—carry a significant risk of destabilizing regional security and triggering a global economic crisis. Policymakers must anticipate this pivot to high-risk foreign policy to mitigate potential international flare-ups.
-
3.
China's economic strategy is characterized by a persistent 'economics of denial,' prioritizing massive state-directed investment in advanced technology over addressing weak domestic consumption. This approach is rooted in a flawed belief that controlling physical capital will automatically generate productivity and wage growth, ignoring the structural imbalance where domestic demand consistently falls short of supply. This overinvestment and underconsumption model is unsustainable. Consequently, Beijing's policies will continue to generate global deflationary pressures and escalating trade friction, necessitating a fundamental pivot toward consumption-led growth for long-term stability.
-
4.
The Blue Wave signals significant voter frustration with cost of living and inflation, giving Congress a mandate to prioritize affordability and cost-reduction measures. Economically, the rapid build-out of AI data centers is creating localized stress, driving up skilled labor wages and straining resources, while also facing constraints from power grids and potential local regulatory backlash. Policymakers must manage this 'sequencing issue'—addressing rising costs before full productivity gains from AI can materialize—and anticipate shifts in global data center infrastructure as the market matures.
-
5.
The U.S. is drastically reducing core funding to multilateral institutions, withdrawing from numerous bodies due to perceived misalignment with national interests. While multilateral channels offer critical advantages—such as pooling resources for global public goods and managing risk in fragile settings—the U.S.'s funding remains heavily 'earmarked,' which effectively 'bilateralizes' the system and undermines shared burden-sharing. This practice, coupled with deep cuts, diminishes the multilateral system's effectiveness and efficiency, particularly in humanitarian aid. Policy recommendations suggest the U.S. must adopt a systematic, published strategy for aid channel choice and shift from restrictive project-level earmarking to broader thematic funding to restore global cooperation.