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.
Occupied Refuge: Humanitarian Colonization and the Camp in Kenya
English Summary
The article argues that refugee camps, exemplified by Kakuma in Kenya, function as sites of 'internal colonization,' where host states exert deep control over displaced populations. The Kenyan government leverages international humanitarian aid and structures to maintain this control through restrictive bureaucracy, physical barriers, and the deployment of surveillance technologies. This mechanism allows the state to deepen its political and social control over marginalized citizens under the guise of providing refuge. Policymakers must recognize that international aid mechanisms can be co-opted by host states to serve national control objectives, necessitating a critical reassessment of aid governance and refugee rights.
中文摘要
本文論述,以肯亞的卡庫馬營地為例,難民營地實質上是「內部殖民化」的場域,接收國在其中對流離群體行使著深層控制。肯亞政府利用國際人道援助的結構,透過限制性的官僚體系、實體障礙,以及部署監控技術來維持這種控制。這種機制使得國家能夠以提供庇護的名義,加深對邊緣化公民的政治與社會控制。政策制定者必須認識到,國際援助機制可能被接收國挪用,以服務其國家控制目標,因此有必要對援助治理和難民權利進行批判性的重新評估。
Related Entries
-
1.
-
2.
The article argues that Donald Trump's unique and prolonged lame-duck period, coupled with domestic political pressures, makes him dangerously prone to international instability. Having exhausted major diplomatic gambits, Trump is expected to channel his energy into high-stakes, unilateral actions, primarily targeting adversaries such as Iran and Cuba. These potential actions—ranging from fresh strikes in the Persian Gulf to attempts at regime change—carry a significant risk of destabilizing regional security and triggering a global economic crisis. Policymakers must anticipate this pivot to high-risk foreign policy to mitigate potential international flare-ups.
-
3.
China's economic strategy is characterized by a persistent 'economics of denial,' prioritizing massive state-directed investment in advanced technology over addressing weak domestic consumption. This approach is rooted in a flawed belief that controlling physical capital will automatically generate productivity and wage growth, ignoring the structural imbalance where domestic demand consistently falls short of supply. This overinvestment and underconsumption model is unsustainable. Consequently, Beijing's policies will continue to generate global deflationary pressures and escalating trade friction, necessitating a fundamental pivot toward consumption-led growth for long-term stability.
-
4.
The article analyzes the deep ideological split within the Democratic Party regarding the future of U.S. foreign policy, pitting centrists against progressives. Centrists generally advocate for restoring a reformed U.S.-led international order and strengthening alliances, while progressives argue for a multipolar world that prioritizes transnational threats like climate change and AI over geopolitical competition. This division is most pronounced in the Middle East, where centrists push for greater pressure on Israel and a regional settlement, a shift largely welcomed by progressives. The core finding is that these internal debates threaten to consume a future administration with indecision, making it difficult for the U.S. to project a coherent and unified global strategy.
-
5.
The article argues that the Nordic model of deep, regional military cooperation (minilateralism) provides a crucial blueprint for sustaining NATO's collective defense against escalating Russian threats. This success is evidenced by the Nordic states' transition from cost-saving measures to a unified security imperative, establishing integrated command structures and specialized regional roles. Policy-wise, the report urges NATO to replicate this regionalization approach in other frontline areas, such as the Baltic and Black Seas. Establishing these subregional 'deterrence clusters' would enhance local response capabilities, strengthen the alliance's overall posture, and provide a vital hedge against potential paralysis of the main NATO structure.