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.
Two Books on Crime and Punishment
English Summary
Two books argue that the U.S.'s high rates of crime and incarceration are not due to racism or punitive culture, but are symptoms of deep structural decay. Key evidence shows the U.S. is an outlier among developed nations, with vastly higher incarceration rates and violence, driven by deindustrialization, weakened social welfare, and corporate power. The authors conclude that pervasive violence stems from the increasing economic inequality and precarity of American life, necessitating a systemic reassessment of how crime, power, and wealth interact. Policy implications suggest that addressing the root causes—such as economic instability and institutional neglect—is crucial for improving public safety and restoring institutional legitimacy.
中文摘要
兩本書籍主張，美國高犯罪率和高監禁率並非源於種族主義或懲罰文化，而是深層結構性衰退的症狀。關鍵證據顯示，美國在已開發國家中屬於極端例外，其監禁率和暴力程度極為高，其驅動因素包括去工業化、社會福利體系衰弱以及企業權力過度。作者們總結指出，普遍的暴力現象源於美國日益加劇的經濟不平等和生活的不穩定性，這要求我們對犯罪、權力與財富之間的相互作用進行系統性的重新評估。政策意涵表明，解決根本原因——例如經濟不穩定和制度性忽視——對於改善公共安全和恢復制度合法性至關重要。
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