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.
Cuba’s Only Choice
English Summary
The article argues that Cuba's severe economic collapse, driven by U.S. sanctions and oil blockades, makes continued political resistance unsustainable. Facing internal divisions and external pressure, Havana's only viable path is a negotiated settlement that avoids humanitarian catastrophe. The U.S. has leveraged secondary sanctions and legal threats, demanding Cuba sever security ties with Russia and China while liberalizing its economy. For stability, the U.S. must structure a sequenced deal: Cuba makes substantial concessions (e.g., opening to private investment and political reforms) in exchange for the lifting of sanctions and allowing foreign capital, thus averting both regime collapse and potential U.S. military intervention.
中文摘要
本文論述，古巴嚴重的經濟崩潰源於美國的制裁和石油封鎖，使得持續的政治抵抗難以為繼。面對內部分裂和外部壓力，哈瓦那唯一的可行出路是達成一項避免人道災難的談判性和解。美國透過利用次級制裁和法律威脅，要求古巴切斷與俄羅斯和中國的安全聯繫，並實現經濟自由化。為確保穩定，美國必須制定一個分階段的協議：古巴需做出重大讓步（例如開放私人投資和進行政治改革），以換取制裁的解除和外資的進入，從而避免政權崩潰和潛在的美國軍事干預。
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