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.
How I Got My Career in Foreign Policy: Jessica Brandt
English Summary
Jessica Brandt's career evolution—from CFR researcher to Director of ODNI's Foreign Malign Influence Center—illustrates how technology has become a central domain of US geopolitical competition. Her work focused on foreign information warfare and technology-enabled asymmetric competition between democracies and authoritarian regimes, particularly through social media platforms and election interference. Brandt's trajectory demonstrates that technology is now inseparable from traditional foreign policy concerns, requiring practitioners with hybrid expertise spanning government, think tanks, and civil society. She emphasizes that emerging tech policy challenges require adaptability, as issues like AI and digital influence operations present novel problems that outpace traditional policy frameworks. Her advice to younger policymakers highlights the importance of technological literacy and willingness to pivot toward emerging national security threats in 21st-century foreign policy.
中文摘要
傑西卡·布蘭特的職業發展軌跡—從美國外交關係委員會研究員至美國國家情報局外國惡意影響中心主任—說明了科技如何成為美國地緣政治競爭的核心領域。她的工作聚焦於外國信息戰爭以及民主制度與專制政權間的科技驅動非對稱競爭，特別是通過社交媒體平台和選舉干預進行的競爭。布蘭特的職業軌跡表明，科技如今與傳統外交政策關切密不可分，需要具備跨越政府、智庫和民間社會的複合型專業知識的從業人員。她強調，新興科技政策挑戰需要適應能力，因為人工智能和數字影響力操作等議題帶來的新問題超越了傳統政策框架的應對範圍。她對年輕政策制定者的建議強調了科技素養的重要性，以及在21世紀外交政策中靈活應對新興國家安全威脅的必要性。
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.