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.
Is a Post-American World Inevitable?
English Summary
The analysis argues that despite political shocks or attempts at de-risking, existing U.S. alliances are resilient and poised to evolve rather than collapse. This resilience is underpinned by intensifying geopolitical threats—particularly from the China-Russia axis—and powerful structural dependencies in technology (AI) and defense spending. These 'gravitational forces' compel allies toward greater cooperation, suggesting that historical precedents show alliances successfully weathering major crises. Policymakers must therefore abandon fatalism and adopt a strategy of shared responsibility, requiring partners to double down on joint efforts rather than expecting paternalistic support from the United States.
中文摘要
本分析認為，儘管面臨政治衝擊或「去風險化」的嘗試，現有的美國聯盟體系依然具備韌性，並有能力進化而非崩潰。這種韌性植根於日益加劇的地緣政治威脅——特別是來自中俄軸心——以及在科技（人工智慧）和國防開支方面的強大結構依賴性。 這些「引力因素」迫使盟友走向更深層次的合作，顯示歷史先例表明聯盟體系有能力成功度過重大危機。因此，政策制定者必須摒棄宿命論的觀點，轉而採取共同承擔責任的策略，要求夥伴國加倍投入聯合努力，而非期望美國提供父權式的支持。
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