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.
Yakuza: A 400-Year History of the Japanese Underworld
English Summary
The article argues that the Yakuza's enduring power over four centuries stemmed primarily from their utility to Japanese economic and political elites, rather than inherent criminal strength. Historically, the state and businesses relied on organized crime groups to fill gaps—such as suppressing labor unrest, recovering stolen goods, or managing municipal services. However, modernizing state functions, including the creation of national services and the processes of democratization, have steadily diminished the Yakuza's overt influence. Consequently, while they have been pushed to the margins of public life, they persist today as underground fixers and extortionists, requiring continued vigilance from policymakers.
中文摘要
本文論述，黑幫（Yakuza）在歷經四個世紀以來持續的權力，主要源於其對日本經濟和政治精英的實用效用，而非其內在的犯罪力量。從歷史角度看，國家和企業曾依賴有組織犯罪集團來填補功能缺口，例如鎮壓勞工動亂、追回贓物，或是管理市政服務。然而，包括建立國家服務和民主化過程在內的國家功能現代化，已逐漸削弱了黑幫的公開影響力。因此，儘管他們已被推至社會邊緣，但至今仍作為地下操縱者和敲詐犯持續存在，這要求政策制定者必須保持持續的警惕。
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