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 Warhead: The Quest to Build the Perfect Weapon in the Age of Modern Warfare
English Summary
The development of precision-guided munitions, exemplified by the Paveway bomb, fundamentally altered modern warfare by enabling forces to strike targets previously deemed unreachable. This technological leap significantly reduced the risk of both American military and civilian casualties during combat operations. The key finding is that this reduction in perceived risk lowers the political threshold for intervention, making it easier for policymakers to launch military operations in complex theaters like Iraq, Kosovo, and Libya. Consequently, the availability of highly accurate weaponry acts as a strategic enabler for military interventionism.
中文摘要
精確導引彈藥（例如Paveway炸彈）的發展，徹底改變了現代戰場的格局，使軍方能夠攻擊以往被認為無法到達的目標。這項技術飛躍顯著降低了在戰鬥行動中美國軍方和平民傷亡的風險。核心發現指出，這種可感知的風險降低，降低了介入的政治門檻，使得政策制定者更容易在伊拉克、科索沃和利比亞等複雜戰區發起軍事行動。因此，高精度武器的可用性成為了軍事介入主義的戰略推動因素。
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