A Look Back: From the Death of Justice Antonin Scalia to the Nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch

While The View From Above generally posts on issues and topics concerning international law, I believe it prudent to address President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee—which will surely have a future impact on international law and the role the United States plays in it. This post briefly analyzes the following in response to the passing of … Read more

Where do Clinton and Trump stand on U.S. intervention?

What should be the U.S. role in the world? In the current election cycle, the debate on this vital question is especially focused on America’s military interventions — interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and hesitation in Syria — which provide some indicators for reflection. As both presidential candidates have spoken on the topic, … Read more

Critical Analysis: Mexican and Central American Children Seeking Refuge in U.S.

November 1, 2014 The United States has caught more than 68,000 children crossing the United States border—primarily via the Rio Grande Valley into Texas—in the past year, doubling last year’s number.  The majority of children are coming from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.  In fact, less than a quarter of the children caught are from … Read more

Critical Analysis: The 20-Year Anniversary of NAFTA

How did you ring in the New Year?  Did you raise a toast to the 20th anniversary of North American Free Trade Agreement?  Probably not, but January 1, 2014, marked the 20th year of NAFTA’s existence.  NAFTA is one of the largest trading blocs in the world and thus still remains a relevant point of … Read more

Critical Analysis: China’s Air Defense Identification Zone

On November 23, 2013, China declared an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), which stated that “aircraft in the area must report their flight plans to China, maintain two-way radio and clearly mark their nationalities on the aircraft.”  China’s declaration has drawn harsh criticism from Japan and the United States. While ADIZs are not a new … Read more

Critical Analysis: U.S. B-52s Cause More Buzz Over Disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands

On Monday, November 26, the United States sent two B-52 bombers over a group of disputed islands in the East China Sea after China recently declared that the islands were within the country’s air defense zone. The disputed islands, called the Diaoyu Islands by the Chinese, and the Senkaku Islands by the Japanese, are at … Read more