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 End of the American Middle East
English Summary
The article argues that the decades-long American regional order in the Middle East, built on military primacy and containing Iran, has reached a point of collapse due to strategic failures and excessive interventionism. Key evidence includes the U.S.'s inability to secure vital waterways or manage conflicts with Iran, coupled with the catastrophic human and economic costs inflicted by past interventions (e.g., Iraq). This failure has created a moral hazard among allies who prioritized self-interest over Washington's goals. For policy, the analysis suggests that maintaining the status quo is unsustainable; the U.S. must abandon its support for autocrats and militarized containment to avoid further regional lawlessness.
中文摘要
本文指出，美國在海灣地區建立的數十年區域秩序——該秩序以軍事主導性為基礎並包含伊朗——已因戰略失誤和過度干預而達到崩潰點。關鍵證據包括美國無法確保重要的航道安全或有效管理與伊朗的衝突，再加上過去干預行動（例如伊拉克）所造成的災難性人道及經濟成本。此種失敗導致盟國產生了道德風險（moral hazard），它們將自身利益置於華盛頓目標之上。從政策層面來看，分析建議維持現狀是不可持續的；美國必須放棄對獨裁政權的支持和軍事化的遏制策略，以避免區域局勢進一步失序。
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 Blue Wave signals significant voter frustration with cost of living and inflation, giving Congress a mandate to prioritize affordability and cost-reduction measures. Economically, the rapid build-out of AI data centers is creating localized stress, driving up skilled labor wages and straining resources, while also facing constraints from power grids and potential local regulatory backlash. Policymakers must manage this 'sequencing issue'—addressing rising costs before full productivity gains from AI can materialize—and anticipate shifts in global data center infrastructure as the market matures.
-
5.
The built environment workforce, comprising 15.3 million workers across 95 occupations, is foundational to modern infrastructure and economic stability. While highly paid, the workforce suffers from significant demographic imbalances, being disproportionately white and male, and often lacking clear career progression pathways. To prevent project delays and cost overruns, policy must mandate that capital asset owners treat labor market forecasting as core to project planning. Strategic interventions are required to strengthen career pipelines through robust apprenticeships, improve retention, and actively recruit younger and more diverse workers.