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 Troubled American Way of War: From Hiroshima to the Age of Algorithms
English Summary
The article critiques the U.S. military's strategic doctrine, arguing that its continued fixation on large-scale airpower, nuclear weapons, and centralized force projection prevents it from understanding modern conflict. Using historical examples, including interventions in Iraq and the recent war on Iran, the author argues that Washington tends to graft new technology onto outdated military practices. The core finding is that future warfare demands a fundamental shift away from massive power projection toward decentralized, small-unit tactics. Strategically, this implies a necessary adoption of 'swarming battle doctrine,' emphasizing coordinated, networked attacks (such as drone swarms) to overwhelm defenses.
中文摘要
本文批判了美國軍方的戰略學說，指出其持續過度執著於大規模空權、核武器和中央集權的武力投射，阻礙了其理解現代衝突的能力。作者援引了伊拉克和近期伊朗戰役等歷史案例，論證華盛頓傾向於將新技術嫁接到過時的軍事實踐上。核心觀點是，未來戰場需要從大規模的武力投射，轉向去中心化、小單位戰術的根本性轉變。從戰略角度來看，這意味著必須採納「蜂群作戰學說」，強調透過協同、網路化的攻擊（例如無人機群）來壓倒敵方防禦系統。
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