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.
The Strange Defeat of Nuclear Deterrence
English Summary
The article argues that traditional concepts of nuclear deterrence are facing a "strange defeat" due to modern asymmetric warfare capabilities. Key evidence is Ukraine’s deep strike operation into Russia, where operatives used remote-launched drones and infiltration tactics to destroy strategic heavy bombers and damage nuclear command and control assets. This successful attack demonstrates the vulnerability of fixed military infrastructure, signaling that large-scale conventional or nuclear doctrines are increasingly obsolete. Policymakers must adjust strategies to account for low-cost, high-impact unconventional attacks rather than relying solely on traditional deterrence models.
中文摘要
本文論述傳統的核威懾概念正因現代非對稱作戰能力的崛起而面臨「異化敗局」。關鍵證據來自烏克蘭對俄羅斯進行的深度打擊行動，其中操作人員利用遠程投放無人機和滲透戰術，成功摧毀了戰略重型轟炸機並損害了核指揮與控制資產。這次成功的攻擊證明了固定軍事基礎設施的脆弱性，預示著大規模的傳統或核武學說正日益過時。政策制定者必須調整策略，以應對低成本、高衝擊力的非傳統攻擊，而非僅依賴傳統威懾模式。
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