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 Crumbling Defense of Europe
English Summary
The article argues that the planned US withdrawal of military assets from Europe, based on the premise that the continent must 'stand on its own feet,' is strategically flawed and dangerous. Key evidence includes detailed plans for slashing troops, aircraft, and command capabilities, occurring concurrently with Russia's escalation of hybrid and conventional warfare against NATO. The analysis warns that this withdrawal will leave Europe critically vulnerable and, more broadly, will undermine US global credibility, signaling to rivals that American commitments are unreliable in other theaters, including the Indo-Pacific.
中文摘要
本文論述，美方以歐洲「自力更生」為前提所規劃的軍事資產撤離，在戰略上存在缺陷且極具風險。關鍵證據包括：在俄羅斯加劇對北約的混合戰與傳統戰爭的同時，美方詳細規劃削減部隊、飛機和指揮能力。分析警告指出，此類撤離將使歐洲處於極度脆弱的境地，更廣泛地而言，將損害美國的全球信譽，向競爭對手發出訊號，即美國在包括印太地區在內的其他戰區的承諾是不可靠的。
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