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 Broken China Dream: How Reform Revived Totalitarianism
English Summary
The article argues that China has shifted away from a period of 'partial reform equilibrium' toward a new form of neo-totalitarianism. This shift was catalyzed by Xi Jinping, who responded to economic slowdown and legitimacy challenges by reactivating foundational totalitarian institutions, such as state dominance, information control, and systematic repression. This internal pivot is coupled with a bolder foreign policy aimed at exploiting perceived U.S. weakness, signaling a return to a Cold War dynamic. Policy analysts should anticipate that this trajectory will delay the emergence of a politically liberal China for at least another generation, necessitating strategic adjustments to engagement models.
中文摘要
本文論述中國已從「部分改革均衡」時期轉向一種新型的威權國家主義（neo-totalitarianism）。這一轉變由習近平激化，他為應對經濟放緩和合法性挑戰，重新激活了國家主導、信息控制和系統性壓制等基礎威權機構。這種內在的轉向，結合了更具野心的外交政策，旨在利用感知到的美國弱點，標誌著回歸冷戰格局。政策分析師應預期，這一軌跡將使政治自由的中國的出現至少延遲了另一個世代，從而要求對現有的參與模式進行戰略調整。
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