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 Still Has the Upper Hand Over China
English Summary
Despite recent trade setbacks, the U.S. retains fundamental structural economic leverage over China, particularly in high-tech sectors and intermediate goods. While Beijing can temporarily weaponize specific resources like rare earths, these chokepoints are vulnerable to diversification efforts by the West. The article argues that the most effective strategy is not unilateral action but coordinated multilateral pressure from U.S. allies across Asia and Europe. Washington must therefore coordinate its economic statecraft with partners to maximize damage to China’s export-dependent model.
中文摘要
儘管近期貿易遭遇挫折，美國在基礎結構性經濟層面仍對中國保持著根本性的槓桿優勢，尤其是在高科技領域和中間商品方面。雖然北京可以暫時將稀土等特定資源武器化，但這些關鍵節點（chokepoints）容易受到西方國家多元化努力的衝擊。本文認為，最有效的策略並非單邊行動，而是美國盟友在亞洲和歐洲發起的協調性多邊壓力。因此，華盛頓必須與其夥伴進行經濟戰略協調，以最大程度地對中國依賴出口的模式造成打擊。
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