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.
How to Reindustrialize America
English Summary
The article argues that America risks ceding its technological edge to China because the decoupling of innovation from production—due to offshoring—has weakened its industrial base. While China uses state-guided finance and guaranteed demand creation to build resilient, clustered manufacturing ecosystems, the US must reverse this trend. To maintain global leadership, Washington must implement an ambitious national strategic investment fund that channels public capital into critical high-value sectors like advanced computing and biotechnology. This reindustrialization effort is necessary to restore the vital feedback loop between research and domestic production.
中文摘要
本文指出,由於產業鏈的「脫鉤」(即創新與生產分離化)——這源於企業將生產外移(offshoring)——美國正在面臨失去技術領先地位給中國的風險,導致其工業基礎遭到削弱。相較之下,中國透過國家主導的金融體系和確保需求創造來建立具備韌性、高度集聚的製造生態系統。為維持全球領導地位,美國必須扭轉這一趨勢。華盛頓政府應設立一項雄心勃勃的國家戰略投資基金,將公共資本投入到先進計算和生物技術等關鍵高價值產業。這場重振工業化的努力,對於恢復研究與國內生產之間至關重要的良性循環(feedback loop)是絕對必要的。
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.