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.
War-Making as Worldmaking: Kenya, the United States, and the War on Terror
English Summary
The article argues that U.S.-led counterterrorism efforts in Africa, such as those targeting al-Shabab via Kenya, are profoundly reshaping local governance and society. While massive security aid empowers national governments, this intervention simultaneously fuels surveillance schemes and illegal detentions for ordinary citizens. The strategy relies on racial stereotypes to maintain domestic support, disproportionately harming certain communities, particularly Muslims. Policymakers must recognize that foreign counterterrorism interventions risk undermining civil liberties and creating internal instability rather than achieving sustainable regional stability.
中文摘要
本文論述，以肯亞針對伊斯蘭國東非省（al-Shabab）等形式的美國主導反恐行動，正在深刻重塑非洲當地的治理結構與社會體系。儘管大規模的安全援助賦予了國家政府實力，但此類干預同時也助長了對普通公民進行監控和非法拘留的機制。該策略依賴種族刻板印象來維持國內支持度，導致某些群體（特別是穆斯林）遭受不成比例的傷害。政策制定者必須認識到，外部的反恐介入行動有損公民自由的風險，其結果可能反而造成內部不穩定，而非實現可持續的區域和平。
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