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 Year of Anarchy
English Summary
The article argues that the stable, rules-based international order established since 1945 is deteriorating, pushing the world toward a state of great-power anarchy. It uses the historical contrast between the post-WWII peace and the volatile pre-war era (marked by global depression and conflict) to frame the current risk. The implied finding is that disruptive political forces threaten to dismantle established international norms and cooperative structures. For policymakers, the primary strategic implication is the urgent need to reinforce alliances and multilateral institutions to prevent a return to great-power competition and instability.
中文摘要
本文論述自1945年以來建立的穩定、基於規則的國際秩序正在衰退，將世界推向大國無政府狀態。文章利用戰後和平與戰前動盪時期（以全球經濟衰退和衝突為標誌）之間的歷史對比，來描繪當前的風險。其潛在結論是，破壞性的政治力量威脅要瓦解既有的國際規範和合作結構。對於政策制定者而言，主要的戰略意涵是迫切需要加強聯盟和多邊機構，以防止重回大國競爭和不穩定狀態。
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