The article argues that the post-Cold War era of U.S. unipolarity, established by the perceived invincibility demonstrated during the Gulf War, has ended. This decline is driven by globalization and technological diffusion, which have democratized advanced military capabilities, allowing regional actors to challenge major powers. Consequently, policymakers must prepare for a more volatile international order marked by frequent crises, heightened costs for securing global trade chokepoints, and reduced predictability from American power. The new rules dictate that great powers can no longer effortlessly impose their will through force.
Debt Trap Nation: Family Homelessness in a Failing State
English Summary
The article argues that widening income inequality in the United Kingdom is creating a systemic crisis of deprivation, trapping families in a cycle of deteriorating living conditions. Key evidence points to unequal access to essential services—including childcare, medical care, and housing—with substandard public housing and mass state care facilities disproportionately affecting women, children, and racial minorities. The analysis suggests that the current social safety net is failing, noting that those in power are either unable or unwilling to address the systemic failures. Policy implications suggest that structural reforms are urgently needed to overhaul housing standards and combat the deep-seated social inequality.
中文摘要
本文論述英國日益擴大的收入不平等正在造成系統性的匱乏危機，使家庭陷入惡化生活條件的惡性循環。關鍵證據指出，基本服務（包括育兒、醫療和住房）的獲取權存在不平等，而低標準的公共住房和大規模的國家照護設施不成比例地衝擊了婦女、兒童和少數族裔。分析顯示，現行的社會安全網正在失效，並指出當權者在處理這些系統性失敗方面，無論是能力不足或意願缺乏。政策意涵表明，迫切需要進行結構性改革，以徹底修訂住房標準並應對根深蒂固的社會不平等。
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