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 Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth
English Summary
The green energy transition, while necessary for global climate goals, relies heavily on critical minerals like cobalt and lithium extracted from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The article argues that this global shift, driven by technological demand, disproportionately burdens the Congolese people, who bear the human and environmental costs of resource extraction. Geopolitically, the race for these materials creates a complex, often exploitative, supply chain involving global powers, manufacturers, and local miners. Policymakers must address the inherent inequity of the transition, ensuring that the benefits and costs of developing clean energy are shared justly and ethically.
中文摘要
綠色能源轉型雖然對於全球氣候目標至關重要，但它高度依賴來自剛果民主共和國（DRC）的鈷和鋰等關鍵礦物。本文指出，這場由技術需求驅動的全球轉型，不成比例地加重了剛果人民的負擔，他們承受著資源開採帶來的環境和人道成本。從地緣政治角度來看，對這些材料的爭奪，建立了一個複雜且往往具有剝削性的供應鏈，涉及全球大國、製造商和當地礦工。政策制定者必須正視轉型中內在的不公平性，確保發展清潔能源的利益和成本能夠得到公正和倫理的分享。
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