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.
A Less-Is-More Strategy for America
English Summary
The article argues that the U.S. military is critically overstretched and under-maintained due to decades of constant, high-intensity global deployments, leading to diminished readiness and equipment strain. Evidence points to issues like supply shortages, degraded equipment, and the inability of current forces to sustain long-term, great-power conflicts. Therefore, the policy recommendation is not to increase funding or size, but rather to adopt a 'less-is-more' strategy: scaling back non-essential military activities and delegating more defense responsibilities to capable allies, allowing the U.S. to focus its limited resources on core, high-priority contingencies.
中文摘要
本文論述美國軍方因數十年來持續進行高強度全球部署，導致其戰力過度拉伸且維護不足，進而造成戰備狀態下降和設備負荷過重。證據指出，現今的困境包括物資短缺、設備退化，以及現役部隊難以維持長期、大國層面的衝突。因此，政策建議並非增加資金或擴大規模，而是應採行「精簡為本」（less-is-more）的策略：縮減非必要的軍事活動，並將更多國防責任委派給有能力的盟友，使美國能夠將有限資源集中於核心、高優先級的應對情景。
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