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.
Newspeak and Newthink: China’s “Rejuvenation” of Its Memory
English Summary
The CCP's power is derived not only from economic strength but significantly from its ability to control language and collective memory, a process described as 'Newspeak and Newthink.' The party achieves this by defining key concepts (e.g., 'whole-process people’s democracy') and managing public narratives through state-controlled media, education, and historical exhibitions. This control allows the CCP to selectively emphasize certain historical events, such as the 'century of humiliation,' while suppressing others, like the Cultural Revolution or Tiananmen Square. For policymakers, this indicates that understanding China's political legitimacy requires recognizing its sophisticated efforts to shape both public discourse and historical memory.
中文摘要
中共的權力來源不僅來自經濟實力，更顯著來自其控制語言和集體記憶的能力，此過程可被描述為「新語和新思」（Newspeak and Newthink）。該黨透過定義關鍵概念（例如「全過程人民民主」）並利用國家控制的媒體、教育和歷史展覽來管理公共敘事，從而實現這種控制。這種控制使中共能夠選擇性地強調某些歷史事件，例如「百年國恥」，同時壓制其他事件，如文化大革命或天安門事件。對於政策制定者而言，這表明要理解中國的政治合法性，必須認識到其在形塑公共論述和歷史記憶方面所進行的複雜努力。
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