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.
Government by Deal, Corruption by Design
English Summary
The article argues that the current administration's industrial policy, which involves government equity stakes in private companies, constitutes 'corruption by design.' Key evidence cited includes the controversial Vulcan deal, where federal funding appeared linked to political figures, demonstrating that government power is being used to confer private benefits rather than through objective market mechanisms. This practice creates a patronage system that distorts investment, elevates politically favored firms (like those in the rare earth sector), and poses national security risks by steering capital toward companies that may not be technically ready. Policymakers must abandon the model of the government acting as a venture capitalist, as this undermines free enterprise and replaces market competition with political access.
中文摘要
本文論述了現行政府的產業政策，特別是其透過持有民營企業股權的方式，實質構成「制度性腐敗」。文章指出，包括備受爭議的Vulcan交易在內，提供了關鍵證據，顯示聯邦資金與政治人物存在關聯，證明政府權力被用於授予私人利益，而非透過客觀的市場機制。這種做法建立了一種庇護系統，扭曲了投資方向，抬升了政治上有利的企業（例如稀土產業），並因將資本導向可能尚未具備技術準備的企業，從而構成國家安全風險。政策制定者必須放棄政府充當風險投資者的模式，因為這會損害自由企業精神，並用政治關係取代市場競爭。
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