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.
Taiwan Doesn’t Have to Choose
English Summary
The article posits that small and middle powers, such as Taiwan, possess the capacity to disproportionately influence global stability, shifting the burden of peace away from great powers. Taiwan's unique leverage stems from its strategic location as a vital gateway in the Western Pacific and its established leadership in advanced technology sectors. For policy, the implication is that Taiwan should proactively utilize its economic and geographic assets to manage regional tensions and contribute actively to global stability, rather than being forced into a binary geopolitical choice.
中文摘要
本文提出，像台灣這樣的中等國家，具備不成比例地影響全球穩定的能力，從而將維護和平的重擔從大國身上轉移。台灣獨特的槓桿優勢源於其作為西太平洋關鍵門戶的戰略地理位置，以及其在先進技術領域的既有領導地位。從政策層面來看，其啟示是台灣應主動利用其經濟和地理資產來管理區域緊張局勢，並積極為全球穩定做出貢獻，而非被迫陷入二元地緣政治選擇。
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