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.
Two Books on the Contest Over Undersea Cables
English Summary
The reviewed publications argue that undersea cables and pipelines represent critical, highly vulnerable infrastructure, making them central battlegrounds in modern 'gray zone' conflicts. These assets transmit the vast majority of intercontinental data and essential energy resources, giving them immense strategic value. Evidence presented ranges from documented sabotage by major powers (like China and Russia) to specific, sophisticated attacks on energy pipelines, such as the Nord Stream incident. Consequently, the findings imply that protecting this vital infrastructure must become a core policy priority for maintaining global economic stability and deterring conflict.
中文摘要
所審閱的出版物主張，海底電纜和管道代表著關鍵且極易受攻擊的基礎設施，使其成為現代「灰色地帶」衝突的核心戰場。這些資產傳輸了絕大部分的洲際數據和關鍵能源資源，具有巨大的戰略價值。所呈現的證據範圍廣泛，從主要大國（如中國和俄羅斯）記錄的破壞行為，到針對能源管道的具體、複雜攻擊（例如北溪事件）。因此，研究結果暗示，保護這項至關重要的基礎設施，必須成為維持全球經濟穩定和威懾衝突的核心政策優先事項。
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