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’s critical minerals commitment problem
English Summary
Chatham House argues that the Trump administration’s critical minerals push is less about outproducing China and more about building a geopolitically selective supply system led by Washington. The article points to the February 4 ministerial, the $12 billion “Project Vault” stockpile plan, and the FORGE platform (with proposed price floors) as evidence of serious US state-backed market shaping tied to alliance politics. It warns that investor confidence depends on long-horizon policy credibility, and that partisan attacks on prior administrations’ mineral programs can signal future policy reversals, raising stranded-asset risk. Strategically, the US should institutionalize these initiatives across agencies and administrations, prioritize trusted partners while expanding real new supply (including copper), and sustain long-term political de-risking in places like the DRC.
中文摘要
查塔姆研究所（Chatham House）指出，川普政府推動關鍵礦產的重點，與其說是要在產量上超越中國，不如說是由華府主導、建立具地緣政治選擇性的供應體系。文章以2月4日的部長級會議、規模120億美元的「Project Vault」儲備計畫，以及FORGE平台（含擬議價格下限）為例，認為美國正以國家力量進行市場塑形，且與同盟政治緊密連動。文中警告，投資人信心取決於長期政策可信度；若以黨派攻防否定前任政府的礦產方案，將釋出未來政策可能反轉的訊號，並提高資產擱淺風險。從戰略上看，美國應將這些倡議制度化、橫跨部會與不同政府任期，在優先布局可信賴夥伴的同時擴增真正新增供給（包括銅），並在剛果民主共和國等地持續推動長期政治去風險化。
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