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.
Taiwan and the Pacific
English Summary
The stability of Taiwan is identified as central to securing the future economic and strategic architecture of the Indo-Pacific region, requiring international efforts to deter China's influence. The analysis is based on a U.S.-Taiwan-Australia Trilateral Dialogue that explored diverse avenues for enhancing cooperation among the three partners. Key findings emphasize that resilience must be built through comprehensive trilateral partnerships spanning security cooperation, economic integration, and engagement with Pacific Island nations. Strategically, this suggests that Washington, Taipei, and Canberra must coordinate efforts across multiple domains to address shared threats and geopolitical uncertainty.
中文摘要
台灣的穩定性被視為鞏固印太地區未來經濟和戰略架構的核心要素，需要國際社會共同努力以遏制中國的影響力。本分析基於一次美台澳三邊對話，探討了增進三方合作的多元途徑。主要發現強調，韌性必須透過涵蓋安全合作、經濟整合以及與太平洋島國互動的全面三邊夥伴關係來建立。從戰略角度來看，這表明華盛頓、台北和堪培拉必須在多個領域協調行動，以應對共同面臨的威脅和地緣政治不確定性。
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 built environment workforce, comprising 15.3 million workers across 95 occupations, is foundational to modern infrastructure and economic stability. While highly paid, the workforce suffers from significant demographic imbalances, being disproportionately white and male, and often lacking clear career progression pathways. To prevent project delays and cost overruns, policy must mandate that capital asset owners treat labor market forecasting as core to project planning. Strategic interventions are required to strengthen career pipelines through robust apprenticeships, improve retention, and actively recruit younger and more diverse workers.