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.
Indignant Liberalism: Political Protest and Generational Change in El Salvador
English Summary
This analysis argues that El Salvador's political liberalism has failed to meet the rising expectations of the populace regarding living standards, public safety, and responsive governance, leading to widespread disillusionment. Drawing on extensive interviews, the findings suggest that the system has historically served primarily the interests of established elites, creating a vacuum filled by authoritarian populism, exemplified by President Bukele. For liberal democracy to survive, the article contends that Salvadorans must critically recognize and address the systemic shortcomings that fueled this generational discontent. This suggests that external policy efforts must focus on fostering internal dialogue regarding governance reform rather than merely supporting existing political structures.
中文摘要
本分析指出，薩爾瓦多（El Salvador）的政治自由主義未能滿足民眾對於生活水準、公共安全和回應式治理日益提高的期望，導致了普遍的幻滅情緒。根據廣泛的訪談結果，研究發現該體制歷來主要服務於既得利益精英階層的利益，從而產生了真空，最終被以總統布克萊（President Bukele）為代表的威權民粹主義所填補。文章主張，若要讓自由民主制度存續，薩爾瓦多人必須批判性地認識並解決導致這代人普遍不滿的系統性缺陷。這暗示外部政策努力應著重於促進關於治理改革的內部對話，而非僅僅支持現有的政治結構。
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