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.
America’s Surprising Energy Advantage
English Summary
The global energy transition, driven by surging demand from AI data centers, has created a geopolitical race where China currently dominates intermittent renewables like solar and wind. However, the United States maintains a strategic advantage in 'firm' clean power sources—specifically enhanced geothermal and advanced small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs)—which are reliable regardless of weather. To capitalize on this lead against Chinese competition, Washington must pursue a coordinated international strategy that secures long-term procurement commitments from allied nations for SMRs and builds resilient global supply chains.
中文摘要
全球能源轉型正因人工智慧（AI）資料中心需求的激增而推動，這場趨勢引發了一場地緣政治競賽。目前中國在太陽能和風能等間歇性再生能源方面佔據主導地位。然而，美國在「穩定」清潔電力來源——特別是增強地熱能和先進小型模組化反應爐（SMRs）——方面仍具備戰略優勢，因為這些電源的可靠性不受天氣影響。為利用此領先地位對抗中國的競爭，華盛頓必須推動一套協調的國際策略，確保盟國在SMRs方面的長期採購承諾，並建立有韌性的全球供應鏈。
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