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.
Even In a Historic Energy Crisis, ASEAN Fails Again
English Summary
Despite convening amid a severe energy crisis triggered by the Iran war, ASEAN failed once again to produce any binding, coordinated regional energy strategy. The failure is attributed to the bloc's inherent consensus-based structure, which allows individual member states to veto collective action due to competing national interests (e.g., prioritizing national reserves or aligning with bilateral powers). This paralysis not only stalled critical energy planning but also prevented progress on other major issues, such as the South China Sea Code of Conduct and the Myanmar crisis. The inability to act decisively undermines ASEAN's credibility and suggests that the organization remains structurally incapable of managing genuine, large-scale regional emergencies.
中文摘要
儘管在伊朗戰爭引發的嚴峻能源危機背景下召開會議，東協再次未能制定出任何具有約束力的、協調一致的區域能源戰略。此一失敗歸因於該集團固有的共識基礎結構，該結構允許個別成員國因國家利益衝突（例如，優先保障國家儲備或與雙邊大國結盟）而否決集體行動。這種癱瘓不僅阻礙了關鍵的能源規劃，也阻止了在其他重大議題上的進展，例如南海行為準則和緬甸危機。這種缺乏果斷行動的能力，削弱了東協的公信力，並顯示該組織在管理真正的、大規模的區域緊急事件方面，仍存在結構性缺陷。
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