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.
The Dum-Dum Bullet: A Lethal History, 1850–1950
English Summary
This analysis traces the history of highly lethal munitions, such as the Dum-Dum bullet, demonstrating how military technology forces international legal responses. The key finding is that the development of such weapons prompted global powers to establish treaties, notably the 1899 Hague Declaration, which attempted to limit the brutality of warfare between signatories. While these legal efforts represent a historical commitment to maintaining 'civilized' conflict, the article concludes that technological advancements and the inherent nature of conflict ultimately undermine these efforts. For policy, this suggests that legal frameworks alone are insufficient to prevent the escalation of violence, requiring a deeper focus on deterrence and conflict resolution.
中文摘要
本分析追溯了高致命性彈藥（例如「Dum-Dum」彈）的歷史，探討了軍事技術如何迫使國際法律作出回應。核心發現是，這些武器的發展促使全球強權建立條約，特別是1899年海牙宣言，該宣言試圖限制戰場的殘酷性。雖然這些法律努力代表了維持「文明」衝突的歷史承諾，但本文結論指出，技術進步和衝突的內在本質最終會瓦解這些努力。從政策層面來看，這表明僅靠法律框架不足以預防暴力升級，需要更深入地關注威懾和衝突解決機制。
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