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.
Three Books on Nuclear Weapons
English Summary
The reviewed literature argues that the history of nuclear weapons is defined by a tension between military buildup and the establishment of a 'nuclear taboo' against use. Scholars trace this history by detailing how initial reluctance (Wellerstein) and subsequent arms control agreements (Holloway) managed great power competition. Crucially, the texts warn that efforts to manage proliferation or deter adversaries often have perverse effects, such as limiting conventional capabilities or reinforcing instability. Policymakers must therefore recognize that over-reliance on nuclear deterrence or unilateral control measures can complicate crisis management and undermine long-term stability.
中文摘要
綜觀文獻指出，核武器的歷史本質上是在軍事擴張與建立「核禁忌」（nuclear taboo）之間持續的張力所定義的。學者們追溯這段歷史，詳細闡述了最初的猶豫（Wellerstein）以及後續的軍備控制協定（Holloway）是如何管理大國之間的競爭。這些文本關鍵警告指出，管理擴散或威懾敵對勢力的努力，往往會產生悖論性的效果，例如限制傳統軍事能力或加劇不穩定性。因此，政策制定者必須認識到，過度依賴核威懾或單邊控制措施，可能會使危機管理複雜化，並損害長期的穩定性。
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