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James Bowen

James Bowen is a writer, editor, and analyst of international affairs. He is based at the International Peace Institute in New York, where he edits The Global Observatory. James has also contributed to outlets including The Atlantic, The Diplomat, World Policy Journal, World Politics Review, New Europe, The National Interest, and Radio National Australia. He is a former speechwriter with the Australian and West Australian governments.

Articles by James Bowen (29)

  • James Bowen 22 Jul 2016 09:51

    Stage is set for Trump, but can he unite the GOP?

    There's a good reason that potential US first lady Melania Trump's plagiarism scandal became one of the defining moments of the Republic National Convention now concluding in Cleveland: original thought of any nature has been in critically short supply throughout the four-day event. Were it not for Ted Cruz's party-crashing turn to exhort Republicans to 'vote your conscience' in November — thus recognising an attribute in others that many accuse him of lacking — Melania's Michelle Obama-crib
  • James Bowen 8 Jul 2016 13:22

    ‘Careless’ emails should harm Clinton, but probably won’t

    Besides a distaste for some aspects of globalisation, one thing which unites the most ardent Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump supporters is the desire to see some sudden collapse in support for Hillary Clinton's campaign.  Despite decrying her 'extremely careless' behaviour, it seems unlikely that Jim Comey will be a deus ex machina for Clinton's opponents on this front.
  • James Bowen 20 Apr 2016 17:25

    Sanders goes down in Brooklyn

    Walking home from the subway tonight, my passage was blocked by a tangle of yellow police tape strewn across the wide avenue bisecting the two main grounds of Brooklyn’s large Farragut public housing complex. Bystanders told me ‘a cop shot someone; they’re killing all of us’. Even casual observers of US culture would realise the 'us' in this statement referred to African Americans.
  • James Bowen 15 Oct 2015 10:42

    Clinton wins Democratic debate, but what else did we learn?

    It was always expected to be about two people, but by the end of its near three-hour run, the first Democratic presidential debate ahead of the 2016 poll had been reduced to a conversation on just one: Hillary Clinton. The extent to which this was true could be seen in the way the other presumptive headliner, Senator Bernie Sanders was at one point asked by CNN moderator Anderson Cooper to respond to the question: 'does she have the right stuff?' Sanders wisely tried to steer the conversation b
  • James Bowen 22 Jul 2015 09:11

    Trump and Sanders can't win, but they can change the debate

    There has been a lot of debate in the US in the past few weeks about whether the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump should be taken seriously or treated as some elaborate sideshow to the main carnival yet to begin. Those conversations will only grow in volume and importance now that the New York businessman has crossed a line held sacred by his fellow Republicans, by questioning the hero status of Senator John McCain.