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.
We Shall Outlast Them: Putin’s Global Campaign to Defeat the West
English Summary
The article analyzes Russia's persistent effort, following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, to reassert itself as a major global power and defeat Western influence despite sanctions. Moscow is actively strengthening ties with non-Western partners in Africa and India, leveraging anti-colonial sentiment through groups like BRICS. However, the analysis notes that Russia's geopolitical ambitions are hampered by failures, such as its inability to solidify a formidable diplomatic bloc within BRICS or maintain key regional allies. Ultimately, while Putin’s resolve remains high, the sustained isolation from the West is imposing significant long-term costs on Russia's development and stability.
中文摘要
本文分析了俄羅斯在2022年入侵烏克蘭後，持續努力重振其作為主要全球大國地位並擊敗西方影響力的行為，儘管面臨制裁。莫斯科正積極加強與非洲和印度等非西方夥伴的關係，透過諸如金磚國家（BRICS）這樣的組織利用反殖民情緒。然而，分析指出，俄羅斯的地緣政治雄心受到自身失敗的阻礙，例如其無法在金磚國家內部鞏固一個穩固的外交集團，或維持關鍵區域盟友。最終而言，儘管普京的決心依然堅定，但持續遭受西方的孤立正對俄羅斯的發展和穩定構成重大的長期成本。
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