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.
India Is Sticking With America—for Now
English Summary
Despite facing volatility from U.S. political shifts and trade tensions, India is maintaining its core partnership with America through an "America plus" strategy. While New Delhi diversifies ties by deepening engagement with Russia and China, the article argues that the United States remains indispensable because it serves as India's largest market for goods/services and a critical source of advanced technology and capital. This economic necessity underpins the resilience of the U.S.-India relationship, suggesting that while India hedges against American volatility, its strategic ambitions remain fundamentally tied to Washington. The implication is that the US-Indian bond is robust and unlikely to fracture despite geopolitical pressures.
中文摘要
儘管面臨美國政治轉變和貿易緊張帶來的波動，印度仍透過「美加」（America plus）策略維持其與美國的核心夥伴關係。雖然新德里正深化與俄羅斯和中國的聯繫以實現多元化，但本文指出，美國仍然是不可或缺的，因為它是印度最大的商品/服務市場，並且是先進技術和資本的關鍵來源。這種經濟上的必要性支撐著美印關係的韌性，暗示了儘管印度試圖對抗美國的波動性，其戰略抱負仍本質上與華盛頓緊密相連。其潛在意義是，儘管面臨地緣政治壓力，美印之間的聯繫依然穩固，難以破裂。
Related Entries
-
1.
-
2.
The article argues that Donald Trump's unique and prolonged lame-duck period, coupled with domestic political pressures, makes him dangerously prone to international instability. Having exhausted major diplomatic gambits, Trump is expected to channel his energy into high-stakes, unilateral actions, primarily targeting adversaries such as Iran and Cuba. These potential actions—ranging from fresh strikes in the Persian Gulf to attempts at regime change—carry a significant risk of destabilizing regional security and triggering a global economic crisis. Policymakers must anticipate this pivot to high-risk foreign policy to mitigate potential international flare-ups.
-
3.
China's economic strategy is characterized by a persistent 'economics of denial,' prioritizing massive state-directed investment in advanced technology over addressing weak domestic consumption. This approach is rooted in a flawed belief that controlling physical capital will automatically generate productivity and wage growth, ignoring the structural imbalance where domestic demand consistently falls short of supply. This overinvestment and underconsumption model is unsustainable. Consequently, Beijing's policies will continue to generate global deflationary pressures and escalating trade friction, necessitating a fundamental pivot toward consumption-led growth for long-term stability.
-
4.
The Blue Wave signals significant voter frustration with cost of living and inflation, giving Congress a mandate to prioritize affordability and cost-reduction measures. Economically, the rapid build-out of AI data centers is creating localized stress, driving up skilled labor wages and straining resources, while also facing constraints from power grids and potential local regulatory backlash. Policymakers must manage this 'sequencing issue'—addressing rising costs before full productivity gains from AI can materialize—and anticipate shifts in global data center infrastructure as the market matures.
-
5.
The built environment workforce, comprising 15.3 million workers across 95 occupations, is foundational to modern infrastructure and economic stability. While highly paid, the workforce suffers from significant demographic imbalances, being disproportionately white and male, and often lacking clear career progression pathways. To prevent project delays and cost overruns, policy must mandate that capital asset owners treat labor market forecasting as core to project planning. Strategic interventions are required to strengthen career pipelines through robust apprenticeships, improve retention, and actively recruit younger and more diverse workers.