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 World Is Trying to Govern AI. The UN Wants In.
English Summary
Global efforts to govern AI are proliferating across numerous international summits, making the UN's Global Dialogue a critical test of multilateral legitimacy. While these forums have generated high-level commitments, the UN offers a unique universal platform appealing to developing nations seeking inclusive governance and preventing technological dependencies. The article warns that if the UN fails to coordinate, AI governance will fragment into incompatible national and regional policies. This fragmentation will lead to normative competition, allowing powerful states and economic blocs to set rules that increase transboundary risk and diminish global accountability.
中文摘要
全球在治理人工智慧（AI）方面的努力正透過眾多國際峰會蓬勃發展，這使得聯合國的全球對話成為檢驗多邊合法性的關鍵考驗。儘管這些論壇已產生高層次的承諾，但聯合國提供了一個獨特的全球性平台，這對尋求包容性治理並避免技術依賴的發展中國家具有極大的吸引力。本文警告指出，如果聯合國未能有效協調，AI的治理將會碎片化，分裂成不相容的國家和區域政策。這種碎片化將導致規範競爭，使得強權國家和經濟集團能夠制定規則，從而增加跨境風險並削弱全球問責制。
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.