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.
Winning at Sea by Controlling the Air: The Strategic Centrality of Airbase Defense
English Summary
The paper argues that countering China’s anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy requires shifting airbase defense from a passive measure to an offensive enabler. The core finding is that developing layered missile defenses, particularly directed energy weapons, at critical air installations can neutralize the threat posed by Chinese forces like the PLARF. By ensuring sustained airpower generation from forward bases, robust active defense restores U.S. air dominance and significantly undercuts China’s maritime ambitions. Strategically, this approach is necessary to project decisive power needed to control global commons and counter Beijing's expansionism.
中文摘要
本文論述，要有效應對中國的「反介入/區域拒止」（A2/AD）戰略，必須將空基防禦從被動措施轉變為主動賦能。核心發現指出，在關鍵的空軍基地部署分層式飛彈防禦系統，特別是定向能武器，能夠有效化解中國武力（如解放軍空軍）所構成的威脅。透過確保前進基地持續產生空中力量，強化的主動防禦能力將恢復美國的海上空域優勢，並大幅削弱中國的海權野心。從戰略角度來看，採取此類方法對於投射控制全球公域、遏制北京擴張主義所必需的決定性力量至關重要。
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.