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 Transactional Trap
English Summary
The article argues that the post-World War II international order is defunct, replaced by a values-neutral, transactional approach to foreign policy. China is identified as the primary driver of this shift, utilizing a state-capitalist model that pursues quid pro quo arrangements to expand markets and economic reach. This strategy allows Beijing to forge diplomatic ties with both democratic and autocratic states, prioritizing economic gain over universal human rights or political alignment. Policymakers must therefore adapt their strategies, recognizing that traditional, values-based diplomacy is giving way to purely transactional, interest-driven relationships.
中文摘要
本文論述二戰後建立的國際秩序已經瓦解，取而代之的是一種價值中立、以交易為導向的外交政策。文章指出，中國是推動這一轉變的主要力量，它利用國家資本主義模式，追求等價交換的安排，以擴大市場和經濟影響力。這種策略使得北京能夠與民主國家和威權國家建立外交關係，將經濟利益置於普世人權或政治立場之上。因此，政策制定者必須調整其策略，認識到傳統的、基於價值觀的外交正在讓位給純粹的、以利益驅動的關係。
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