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.
Remembering John Foster Dulles
English Summary
This retrospective analyzes the legacy of John Foster Dulles, a central figure in 1950s U.S. foreign policy known for his doctrines of 'massive retaliation,' 'brinkmanship,' and 'rollback.' While Dulles provided the bold moral and rhetorical framework for American exceptionalism during the Cold War, historical evidence suggests President Eisenhower maintained ultimate control over policy decisions, often opting for caution over Dulles's aggressive stances. The article also highlights the damaging long-term effects of Dulles’s purge of State Department experts on U.S. diplomatic intelligence and regional expertise.
中文摘要
這篇回顧分析了約翰·福斯特·杜勒斯（John Foster Dulles）的政治遺產，他是1950年代美國外交政策的核心人物，以「大規模報復」、「邊緣政策」和「推回策略」等主張著稱。雖然杜勒斯為冷戰期間的美國例外主義提供了大膽的道德與修辭框架，但歷史證據顯示，艾森豪總統始終掌握著政策決策的最終控制權，且相對於杜勒斯的激進立場，他往往更傾向於謹慎。文章還強調了杜勒斯對國務院專家的清洗，對美國外交情報和區域專業知識造成的長期破壞性影響。
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