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.
The Elimination: A Survivor of the Khmer Rouge Confronts His Past and the Commandant of the Killing Fields
English Summary
This account examines the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge, arguing that the horrific violence was driven by individual choices and culpability, rather than merely systemic orders. Using personal narratives, the work details the suffering of victims and confronts perpetrators, such as Comrade Duch, who are shown to have actively chosen their path into becoming agents of violence. The central finding is that accountability must be focused on individual responsibility, emphasizing that perpetrators retained agency and choice even within a brutal regime. For policy, this underscores the critical importance of transitional justice mechanisms and individual criminal prosecution when addressing historical mass atrocities.
中文摘要
本研究考察了紅色高棉的暴行，主張其殘酷的暴力源於個體的選擇和罪責，而非僅僅是體制性的命令。該著作透過個人敘事，詳述了受害者的苦難，並直面了行為者，例如杜奇（Comrade Duch），指出他們是主動選擇走上成為暴力執行者的道路。核心發現是，問責制必須聚焦於個體責任，強調即使在殘酷的政權下，行為者仍保有能動性和選擇權。對於政策層面而言，這突顯了在處理歷史性大規模暴行時，過渡正義機制和個體刑事起訴的重要性。
Related Entries
-
1.
-
2.
The article argues that Donald Trump's unique and prolonged lame-duck period, coupled with domestic political pressures, makes him dangerously prone to international instability. Having exhausted major diplomatic gambits, Trump is expected to channel his energy into high-stakes, unilateral actions, primarily targeting adversaries such as Iran and Cuba. These potential actions—ranging from fresh strikes in the Persian Gulf to attempts at regime change—carry a significant risk of destabilizing regional security and triggering a global economic crisis. Policymakers must anticipate this pivot to high-risk foreign policy to mitigate potential international flare-ups.
-
3.
China's economic strategy is characterized by a persistent 'economics of denial,' prioritizing massive state-directed investment in advanced technology over addressing weak domestic consumption. This approach is rooted in a flawed belief that controlling physical capital will automatically generate productivity and wage growth, ignoring the structural imbalance where domestic demand consistently falls short of supply. This overinvestment and underconsumption model is unsustainable. Consequently, Beijing's policies will continue to generate global deflationary pressures and escalating trade friction, necessitating a fundamental pivot toward consumption-led growth for long-term stability.
-
4.
The Blue Wave signals significant voter frustration with cost of living and inflation, giving Congress a mandate to prioritize affordability and cost-reduction measures. Economically, the rapid build-out of AI data centers is creating localized stress, driving up skilled labor wages and straining resources, while also facing constraints from power grids and potential local regulatory backlash. Policymakers must manage this 'sequencing issue'—addressing rising costs before full productivity gains from AI can materialize—and anticipate shifts in global data center infrastructure as the market matures.
-
5.
The U.S. is drastically reducing core funding to multilateral institutions, withdrawing from numerous bodies due to perceived misalignment with national interests. While multilateral channels offer critical advantages—such as pooling resources for global public goods and managing risk in fragile settings—the U.S.'s funding remains heavily 'earmarked,' which effectively 'bilateralizes' the system and undermines shared burden-sharing. This practice, coupled with deep cuts, diminishes the multilateral system's effectiveness and efficiency, particularly in humanitarian aid. Policy recommendations suggest the U.S. must adopt a systematic, published strategy for aid channel choice and shift from restrictive project-level earmarking to broader thematic funding to restore global cooperation.