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.
New energy and trade routes could bypass Hormuz and change the Middle East. But major challenges remain
English Summary
The disruption caused by conflict in the Gulf has spurred regional efforts—particularly in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon—to establish alternative energy and trade corridors bypassing the vulnerable Strait of Hormuz. Key projects include pipelines connecting Iraq to the Mediterranean via Syria and Turkey, alongside digital and railway links. However, the article cautions that while these corridors offer a path to greater economic sovereignty, their realization is severely hampered by ongoing conflict, external interference, and deep internal challenges like endemic corruption and fragmented governance. Ultimately, the success of these mega-projects hinges not merely on building infrastructure, but on the states' ability to build robust institutions capable of governing and protecting these new connections for the benefit of their populations.
中文摘要
海灣地區因衝突帶來的衝擊，促使區域內（特別是伊拉克、敘利亞和黎巴嫩）積極建立替代能源和貿易走廊，以繞過脆弱的霍爾木茲海峽。關鍵項目包括連接伊拉克至地中海的管道，經由敘利亞和土耳其，以及數位和鐵路連結。然而，本文警告指出，儘管這些走廊為實現更高的經濟主權提供了途徑，但其落實仍受到持續衝突、外部干預，以及內生腐敗和治理碎片化等深層內部挑戰的嚴重阻礙。最終，這些大型專案的成功，不僅取決於基礎設施的建設，更取決於各國建立穩健的制度，以確保這些新的連接能夠造福於其人民。
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