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.
Enver Hoxha: Twentieth-Century Tyrant
English Summary
The article analyzes Enver Hoxha's rule in Albania (1944-1985), arguing that he established a deeply paranoid and totalitarian regime, comparable to Stalinist states. Hoxha's power was built on ideological rigidity, successive elite purges, and near-complete national isolation, despite initial support from major global powers. Historically, his regime serves as a stark warning regarding the dangers of unchecked ideological extremism and the state's pursuit of absolute purity. For policy, the case highlights the enduring risks associated with internal political instability and the dangers of state isolation, regardless of geopolitical alignment.
中文摘要
本文分析了恩弗·霍夏在阿爾巴尼亞的統治時期（1944-1985年），論證他建立了一個深度偏執且極權的政權，其性質可與斯大林主義國家相媲美。霍夏的權力建立在意識形態的教條主義、歷次精英清洗，以及近乎完全的國家孤立之上，儘管初期曾獲得主要全球大國的支持。從歷史角度來看，他的政權為不受約束的意識形態極端主義和國家追求絕對純潔的危險提供了嚴峻的警示。在政策層面，此案例突顯了內部政治不穩定和國家孤立所帶來的持久風險，無論其地緣政治定位如何。
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