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.
Trump-Xi + Mutually Assured Disruption + Boeing, Beef, and Beans
English Summary
The U.S.-China rivalry is defined by a state of 'mutually assured disruption,' where technological competition (semiconductor controls vs. rare earth embargoes) creates an unstable equilibrium. While the U.S. maintains a lead in AI frontier model development, China holds an advantage in deployment speed and cost, suggesting rough parity. Policy efforts should focus on immediate, proactive dialogue regarding AI safety and non-proliferation, drawing parallels to Cold War treaties. Crucially, any safety negotiations must be conducted while simultaneously tightening technological loopholes to maintain strategic leverage and prevent being outmaneuvered.
中文摘要
美中對抗的特徵是一種「相互保證的動盪狀態」，其技術競爭（如半導體管制與稀土禁運）營造出不穩定的平衡。儘管美國在AI前沿模型開發方面仍具領先優勢，但中國在部署速度和成本方面佔有優勢，顯示雙方大致處於均勢。政策努力應著重於就AI安全和不擴散議題進行即時、主動的對話，可參考冷戰時期的條約模式。至關重要的是，任何安全談判必須與同時收緊技術漏洞的行動並行進行，以維持戰略籌碼，並避免被對方出其不意地超越。
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