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.
Pac Tech Pulse: July 2026
English Summary
Global tech governance is rapidly maturing, with nations implementing stringent regulations across AI, data privacy, and model risk management (e.g., India's mandated 'kill switches' and Singapore’s GenAI guidelines). Industrial policy remains a key focus, evidenced by South Korea's semiconductor special act and China's comprehensive plans for green energy infrastructure and data centers. These coordinated state efforts signal a trend toward highly regulated, nationalistic technological development, requiring policymakers to navigate complex regulatory fragmentation while securing critical supply chains and maintaining economic resilience.
中文摘要
全球科技治理正快速成熟，各國已在人工智慧（AI）、資料隱私和模型風險管理等領域實施嚴格的法規規範（例如印度強制要求的「關機開關」機制及新加坡的生成式AI指導方針）。產業政策仍是核心焦點，南韓頒布半導體特別法案，以及中國針對綠色能源基礎設施和資料中心制定了全面規劃，均為此提供了佐證。這些協調一致的國家層面努力，顯示出一個高度監管化、民族主義化的技術發展趨勢。這要求政策制定者必須在應對複雜的法規碎片化（regulatory fragmentation）的同時，確保關鍵供應鏈的安全並維持經濟韌性。
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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.