Americans have a reputation for being bad at world geography, and the current U.S. administration is no exception, particularly when it comes to correctly identifying what is – and is not – part of the United States of America.
President Donald Trump’s April 2025 executive order “unleashing America’s offshore critical minerals” provides an example. It purports to “unleash” seabed minerals both wit...
The strongest version of this narrative highlights a legitimate tension: the U.S. needs critical minerals for technological and energy security, but its unilateral approach risks eroding the international legal framework it helped establish. The article credibly outlines the historical context of the Law of the Sea Convention and the U.S.’s paradoxical role as both architect and outsider. It also fairly presents the ISA’s condemnation and the potential legal risks for other nations. However, the...