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.
America’s War of Choice on Iran
English Summary
The joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran have triggered a major, destabilizing escalation, pushing the region toward a protracted conflagration. Experts argue that Iran's retaliatory strikes were a calculated, existential move, demonstrating a willingness to engage in a long conflict by targeting soft underbellies, such as Gulf neighbors and American assets. This strategy allows Iran to gamble that it can outlast the current U.S. political administration. For policy, the primary implication is managing the risk of regional spillover, mitigating domestic economic fallout, and navigating the highly decentralized and politically charged nature of U.S. decision-making regarding the conflict.
中文摘要
美以聯手對伊朗的打擊引發了重大的、動盪的升級，將該地區推向曠日持久的戰火。專家指出，伊朗的報復性打擊是一場經過深思熟慮的、關乎生存的舉動，其目標是攻擊如海灣鄰國和美國資產等「軟肋」，顯示出其願意捲入長期衝突的意願。從政策層面來看，主要影響包括管理區域溢出風險、減輕國內經濟衝擊，以及應對美國在處理此衝突時高度分散化且政治敏感的決策性質。
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