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.
The Wrong War at Sea
English Summary
The article contends that recent US military strikes against drug trafficking vessels (200+ deaths since September 2025) are ineffective because supply-side enforcement cannot eliminate underlying demand. Drawing on economics and drug war history, the author argues that destroying shipments merely incentivizes traffickers to innovate, strengthens violent criminal organizations, and perpetuates cycles of violence and corruption across Latin America. The costs of prohibition—including civil liberties erosion, overdoses, and diplomatic tensions—far outweigh security benefits. The article concludes that the US should legalize drugs rather than continue an ineffective military strategy.
中文摘要
本文主張，美國近期針對毒品走私船隻的軍事打擊（自2025年9月以來已造成200多人死亡）是無效的，因為單純的供應端執法無法消除根本的市場需求。作者援引經濟學和毒品戰爭的歷史，論證銷毀貨物批次僅會激勵走私者進行創新、強化暴力犯罪組織，並在拉丁美洲持續惡化暴力和腐敗的循環。禁藥政策的成本——包括侵蝕公民自由、藥物過量中毒和外交緊張——遠超過其安全效益。文章結論指出，美國應選擇合法化毒品，而非繼續採取無效的軍事戰略。
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