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.
Report to Congress on U.S.-Panama Relations
English Summary
While U.S.-Panama relations are historically robust and economically strong, current policy focus has shifted toward critical security concerns surrounding the Panama Canal. The primary strategic objective is to safeguard the canal's operations and limit perceived influence from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the region. This requires the U.S. to secure cooperation from Panama’s civilian government on joint efforts concerning transnational crime, drug trafficking, and migration control. Policy implications suggest that future U.S. strategy must balance supporting Panamanian democratic stability with actively countering geopolitical rivals to maintain American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere.
中文摘要
儘管美國與巴拿馬的關係在歷史上穩固且經濟強勁，但目前的政策焦點已轉向圍繞巴拿馬運河的關鍵安全問題。主要的戰略目標是保護運河的營運，並限制中華人民共和國（PRC）在該地區被認為的影響力。這要求美國必須從巴拿馬的民事政府那裡獲得合作，共同應對跨國犯罪、毒品販運和移民管制等問題。政策意涵顯示，美國未來的戰略必須在支持巴拿馬的民主穩定性與積極應對地緣政治競爭對手之間取得平衡，以維持其在西半球的主導地位。
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