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.
Draghi wants real decision-making power in Europe, not a federal Big Bang
English Summary
The article argues that Mario Draghi is not calling for an immediate EU superstate, but for "pragmatic federalism" that gives Europe real decision-making authority in strategic domains. It reasons that loose intergovernmental coordination, especially in defense and foreign policy, leaves the EU economically strong but politically weak, while examples like the euro and the ECB show that functional federal-style authority can work without full constitutional federalism. Draghi therefore favors flexible integration among willing states, potentially outside formal EU structures at first, with late entry open to others, similar to Schengen’s path. Strategically, this implies prioritizing coalition-based institutional deepening in defense, industrial policy, taxation, and diplomacy to increase European power without waiting for politically unlikely treaty-level overhaul.
中文摘要
該文主張，馬里奧·德拉吉並非呼籲立即建立歐盟超級國家，而是倡議「務實聯邦主義」，使歐洲在戰略領域獲得真正的決策權。文章論證，鬆散的政府間協調，尤其在國防與外交政策上，使歐盟在經濟上強勁卻在政治上薄弱；同時，歐元與歐洲央行等案例顯示，即使沒有完整的憲政聯邦制，具功能性的聯邦式權力安排仍可運作。因此，德拉吉支持由有意願的國家先行推動彈性整合，初期甚至可在正式歐盟架構之外展開，並對其他國家保留後續加入的空間，路徑類似申根體系。從戰略層面看，這意味應優先透過以聯盟為基礎的制度深化，在國防、產業政策、稅制與外交領域提升歐洲實力，而非等待政治上不太可能實現的條約層級全面改革。
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.