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.
Ukraine and the New Way of War
English Summary
The conflict in Ukraine demonstrates that modern great-power warfare is characterized by sustained, highly destructive conventional conflict and a fragile, elevated risk of nuclear escalation, rather than quick, decisive outcomes. While Russia's nuclear threats are significant, Ukraine's resilience and ability to strike deep into Russian territory show that nuclear weapons do not guarantee coercive leverage. Consequently, the U.S. must update its defense planning to prepare for protracted wars of attrition with nuclear-armed adversaries, focusing on strengthening deterrence, coordinating with allies, and maintaining readiness for extended, high-stakes conflicts.
中文摘要
烏克蘭的衝突顯示，現代大國層面的戰爭特徵是持續性、高度破壞性的傳統衝突，以及脆弱且升高的核升級風險，而非快速、決定性的戰果。儘管俄羅斯的核威脅極為重大，但烏克蘭的韌性及其深入俄羅斯領土的打擊能力表明，核武器並不能保證強制性的戰略籌碼。因此，美國必須更新其國防規劃，以應對與擁有核武的敵對方進行的長期消耗戰，重點應放在強化威懾、與盟友協調，以及維持應對長期、高風險衝突的戰備狀態。
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