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 Middle East: The Ruination of a Region
English Summary
The article presents a scathing critique of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, arguing that the pursuit of a U.S.-centric order since the Cold War has resulted in regional ruination. Key evidence points to the failure to resolve the core Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which allowed the U.S. to justify prolonged involvement through failed 'peace processes.' This neglect led to disastrous policies, including interventions in Iraq and Syria, and support for actions like the Gaza assault, all of which ignored regional public opinion and undermined democracy promotion. Policymakers must fundamentally reassess their strategy, moving away from unilateral imposition of order and recognizing the need for genuine regional stability.
中文摘要
本文對美國在中東的外交政策提出了尖銳的批判，主張自冷戰時期以來，追求以美國為中心的秩序已導致了該地區的敗壞。關鍵證據指出，美國未能解決核心的以色列-巴勒斯坦衝突，這使得美國得以藉由失敗的「和平進程」來為其長期介入提供正當性。這種忽視導致了災難性的政策，包括在伊拉克和敘利亞的干預，以及支持加薩襲擊等行動，所有這些行為都無視了區域民意，並損害了民主推廣的努力。政策制定者必須從根本上重新評估其戰略，擺脫單方面強加秩序的做法，並認識到實現真正區域穩定的必要性。
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