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.
Tinubu’s UK state visit: diplomacy alone won’t fix Nigeria’s problems
English Summary
President Tinubu's state visit to the UK marks Nigeria's highest-level diplomatic engagement with Britain since 1989, aimed at deepening economic partnerships and security cooperation. While Tinubu's visible foreign policy approach has achieved macroeconomic improvements—inflation falling from 30% to 15% and improved international credit ratings—these gains have not materially improved conditions for most Nigerians, who face rising poverty and food insecurity. Nigeria's trade with the UK (£8.1 billion annually) remains modest compared to China (£16.5 billion), and the economy continues to be dominated by hydrocarbons without significant diversification, leaving it vulnerable to commodity shocks. The article argues that diplomatic engagement and foreign investment alone cannot address Nigeria's structural deficits in electricity, education, health, and security—ranked 6th globally on terrorism. Sustainable progress requires complementary domestic structural reforms alongside international partnerships to tackle the long-term drivers of insecurity and economic stagnation.
中文摘要
丁亞努的英國國事訪問標誌著奈及利亞自1989年以來與英國最高層級的外交接觸，旨在深化經濟夥伴關係和安全合作。儘管丁亞努外交政策的積極推進已帶來宏觀經濟改善——通膨從30%下降至15%，國際信用評級隨之提升——惟這些成果對大多數奈及利亞人的實際生活條件未見顯著改善，該國人民仍深陷貧困加劇與糧食不安全的困境。奈及利亞與英國的貿易額（年均81億英鎊）相較於中國（165億英鎊）仍相對有限，該國經濟仍由石化燃料主導，缺乏產業多元化，易受國際大宗商品價格波動影響。文章主張，僅憑外交接觸與外資流入無法解決奈及利亞在電力、教育、衛生與安全方面的結構性問題，該國恐怖主義威脅在全球排名第六。永續進展必須輔以國內結構性改革並深化國際夥伴關係，方能根本解決導致長期不安全與經濟停滯的深層驅動因素。
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 U.S. is drastically reducing core funding to multilateral institutions, withdrawing from numerous bodies due to perceived misalignment with national interests. While multilateral channels offer critical advantages—such as pooling resources for global public goods and managing risk in fragile settings—the U.S.'s funding remains heavily 'earmarked,' which effectively 'bilateralizes' the system and undermines shared burden-sharing. This practice, coupled with deep cuts, diminishes the multilateral system's effectiveness and efficiency, particularly in humanitarian aid. Policy recommendations suggest the U.S. must adopt a systematic, published strategy for aid channel choice and shift from restrictive project-level earmarking to broader thematic funding to restore global cooperation.