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 Illusion of Isolationism
English Summary
The article challenges the common characterization of recent US national security policy as isolationist. While acknowledging that the style may echo historical figures—such as James Monroe or Theodore Roosevelt—the analysis argues that this comparison is misleading. The core finding is that despite outward appearances, the current policy approach is not isolationist, but rather rooted in a long tradition of American global engagement. Policymakers should therefore resist framing US foreign policy through a purely isolationist lens, recognizing the persistent commitment to international involvement.
中文摘要
本文質疑將近期美國國家安全政策普遍定性為孤立主義的做法。雖然承認其風格可能呼應歷史人物——例如詹姆斯·門羅或西奧多·羅斯福——但分析指出，這種比較具有誤導性。核心發現是，儘管外觀看似如此，但當前政策方法並非孤立主義，而是植根於美國長期參與全球事務的傳統。因此，政策制定者應抵制透過純粹的孤立主義視角來框架美國外交政策，而應認識到其持續參與國際事務的承諾。
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