Shows
Warrior NationWar machines: the rise and rise of autonomous systems and drones (SE6 EP2)Welcome to Season 6 of Warrior Nation!In this series we will look at the future shape of warfare and the terrain over which it will be fought. From drones and AI, through to hardening borders and space warfare, from the outcomes of the Gaza war to the boomerang effects of colonial technologies of oppression, we’ll draft in experts, activists and artists from numerous fields of expertise to try and establish what militarism and war will look like and, most importantly, how we as anti-militarists can disrupt its effects. We'll pay particular attention to the new...
2025-08-1243 minWarrior NationFuture War: Finding Hope In World At War (SE6 EP1)Welcome to Season 6 of Warrior Nation!In this series we will look at the future shape of warfare and the terrain over which it will be fought. From drones and AI, through to hardening borders and space warfare, from the outcomes of the Gaza war to the boomerang effects of colonial technologies of oppression, we’ll draft in experts, activists and artists from numerous fields of expertise to try and establish what militarism and war will look like and, most importantly, how we as anti-militarists can disrupt its effects. We'll pay particular attention to the new...
2025-06-181h 05
If I Ruled the World by Gillian Burke24: I would ABOLISH THE MILITARY: Joe GlentonGive us your feedback and tell us what you would do if you ruled the world!“All you have when the shit hits the fan is each other... Often that is enough.” Welcome to another thought-provoking episode of "If I Ruled the World." Today, I sit down with Joe Glenton, a former British soldier turned journalist and anti-war activist. Joe shares his transformation from a ‘good’ military operative to a voice for peace, dissecting the complexities of military ethics and the true cost of war.Episode Highlights:Military Lessons: Joe opens up about the valuable...
2024-09-061h 38Warrior NationInternational anti-militarism: Life, art and loss in the Palestinian diaspora (SE5 EP6)Welcome to Season Five of Warrior Nation! This time we're talking to anti-militarist activists from around the world to learn their motivations, strategies and tactics. The last few years have shown us nothing if not that militarism is on the rise globally, making it more important than ever that voices critical of war and the military have a platform.We speak to British-Palestinian poet and scientist Mohammed Ghalayini. Mohammed spent the first two months of Israel's assault on Gaza inside the besieged enclave. He told us about art and life in the diaspora, growing up in exile...
2024-08-2755 minWarrior NationInternational anti-militarism: Neocolonialism in South Korea (SE5 EP5)Welcome to Season Five of Warrior Nation! This time we're talking to anti-militarist activists from around the world to learn their motivations, strategies and tactics. The last few years have shown us nothing if not that militarism is on the rise globally, making it more important than ever that voices critical of war and the military have a platform.We spoke to Jungmin Choi from the South Korea-based anti-militarist campaign group World Without War about her work. Our conversation touched on gender, US military bases, how the stand-off with North Korea is used...
2024-05-1643 minWarrior NationAnti-militarism & international solidarity: Kathy Kelly (SE5 EP4)Welcome to Season Five of Warrior Nation! This time we're talking to anti-militarist activists from around the world to learn their motivations, strategies and tactics. The last few years have shown us nothing if not that militarism is on the rise globally, making it more important than ever that voices critical of war and the military have a platform.Kathy Kelly is a renowned American peace activist, a founding members of Voices in the Wilderness, and, until the campaign closed in 2020, a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence. As part of peace team work in s...
2024-03-2658 minWarrior NationInternational anti-militarism: Ukrainian war resisters (SE5 EP3)Welcome to Season Five of Warrior Nation! This time we're talking to anti-militarist activists from around the world to learn their motivations, strategies and tactics. The last few years have shown us nothing if not that militarism is on the rise globally, making it more important than ever that voices critical of war and the military have a platform.Russia's invasion of Ukraine has had multiple global impacts. From the rise in global food and oil prices to the increased threat of nuclear war, it's hard to find hope. But many thousands of Ukrainians, Russians and Belorussians...
2024-03-1446 minWarrior NationInternational anti-militarism: militarism & patriarchy in Israel (SE5 EP2)Welcome to Season Five of Warrior Nation! This time we're talking to anti-militarist activists from around the world to learn their motivations, strategies and tactics. The last few years have shown us nothing if not that militarism is on the rise globally, making it more important than ever that voices critical of war and the military have a platform.Israel is one of the profoundly militarised countries in the world, with terrifying impacts for occupied Palestinians, as well as Israelis. But how do you support war resisters in a nation which considers itself permanently at war? We...
2024-02-2947 minWarrior NationInternational anti-militarism: Demilitarising Education (SE5 EP1)Welcome to Season Five of Warrior Nation! This time we're talking to anti-militarist activists from around the world to learn their motivations, strategies and tactics. The last few years have shown us nothing if not that militarism is on the rise globally, making it more important than ever that voices critical of war and the military have a platform.First up, Demilitarise Education's co-founder Jinsella Kennaway. This dynamic group opposes the arms trade on university campuses and is one of the most exciting organisations to emerge in recent years. You can read more a...
2024-02-081h 02Warrior NationInternational anti-militarism (Season 5 Trailer)Warrior Nation returns with a series exploring the work of leading anti-militarist organisations from around the world. With wars raging in Gaza, Ukraine and beyond, platforming critical voices has never been more important. So we've sought out people and organisations who resist every day to ask them how they develop the strategies and tactics to challenge the powerful forces which drive militarism. Follow ForcesWatch on Instagram (@forceswatch).Support the show
2024-01-1602 min
Get Your Armies Off Our BodiesE8 We Need These Minds: Militarism in UniversitiesOur last episode looked at weapons companies’ influence campaigns on kids in schools, and even in early childhood.
This influence also reaches deep into our universities.
Education in STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths – should be a public good.
But weapons companies have gone all-out to make sure universities serve their agenda, in research, and in recruitment.
We need to face up to this. And this episode has a great example of doing just that, from the UK.
Produced and presented by Zelda Grimshaw and the team at Wage...
2023-11-2914 minWarrior NationThe Troubles, so called: Britain's war in Ireland (EP3)Whether it is Brexit or historical allegations, the colonial legacy of Northern Ireland haunts British politics. With a controversial bill on the war having just been approved in Parliament, Forces Watch found three unique voices whose lives and work have been profoundly shaped by the so-called Troubles.What does the war in Ireland share with the so-called War on Terror? Award-winning national security journalist Ian Cobain's extensive work on British post-9/11 human rights abuses led him to look more deeply at the war in Ireland. His most recent book, 'Anatomy of a Killing', seeks to understand the w...
2023-09-2830 minWarrior NationThe Troubles, so called: Britain's war in Ireland (EP2)Whether it is Brexit or historical allegations, the colonial legacy of Northern Ireland haunts British politics. With a controversial bill on the war having just been approved in Parliament, Forces Watch found three unique voices whose lives and work have been profoundly shaped by the so-called Troubles.What is it like to be occupied by the British military? In episode two of our special mini-series on Britain's war in Ireland, we speak to Fiona Gallagher. A proud Derry woman, Fiona grew up in a Catholic family during the worst years of the so-called Troubles. She...
2023-09-1958 minWarrior NationThe Troubles, so called: Britain's war in Ireland (EP1)Whether it is Brexit or historical allegations, the colonial legacy of Northern Ireland haunts British politics. With a controversial bill on the war having just been approved in Parliament, ForcesWatch found three unique voices whose lives and work have been profoundly shaped by the so-called Troubles.In the first episode of this three part special series, we speak to former British soldier Lee Lavis. Lee served in Ireland as an infantryman and settled there after leaving the military. We discuss the prospects for peace and reunification, the class dynamics which sectarianism obscures, Lee’s work with former pa...
2023-09-1359 minWarrior NationThe War Racket: Reflections & Predictions (SE4 EP10)In our final episode of Series 4, we speak with Paul Rogers on the parallels and differences between the invasions of Iraq and Ukraine, and reflect on some of the key themes that have emerged across the past five months. Paul is Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies in the Department of Peace Studies and International Relations at Bradford University, and an Honorary Fellow at the Joint Service Command and Staff College. You can read his rich body of work as openDemocracy’s international security correspondent by following this link. He is on Twitter via @ProfPRogers. Support the s...
2023-03-3056 minWarrior NationWar & Police: Linking the Cops & the Military (SE4 EP9)It cannot be denied that the police are becoming more militarised - not just in the United States but here in Britain. Yet this focus on hardware presents the cops and the military as separate entities. In reality, they are built from the same foundations. In this episode we speak with academic and activist Chris Rossdale about the colonial history of the police, how the military is overwhelmingly used in policing roles and why we should see the two institutions as part of the same apparatus of oppression. Part of the discussion centres around the...
2023-03-1547 minWarrior NationA Material World: Think-Tank Funding & Defending the Status Quo (SE4 EP8)Think-tanks are a key part of the political process in the UK - indeed globally - but do they actually promote democracy? Which ones have influence, how are they funded, and what role does legacy media have in amplifying their ideas.In this episode we speak with Rethinking Security coordinator Richard Reeve and academic Kjølv Egeland, experts in the multifaceted world of defence and security think-tanks. They discuss how funding plays a key role in think-tank output, constraining critique and ensuring the most dominant ideas remain within the boundaries of the status quo.You ca...
2023-03-0241 minWarrior NationEverything Looks Like a Nail: Why the Military Can't Save the Planet (SE4 EP7)As the impacts of the climate crisis escalate, there is a growing trend for securitised responses that foreground the role of militaries in tackling the fallout. But whose interests do these militaries serve and what role have they played in bringing about environmental catastrophe.In this episode we speak with Nick Buxton, a communications specialist with 20 years experience in climate sustainability and international development, to pick his brain on the intersection between climate change, the military and security. Nick has produced an incredible body of work for the Amsterdam-based Transnational Institute, covering climate change, border securitisation, Big...
2023-02-1051 minWarrior NationDark Economics: Understanding the Politics of Defence Budgets (SE4 EP6)As the sentiment goes, there always seems to be money for warfare but never quite enough for welfare. So what's the picture in the UK - that tiny collection of islands with its towering defence expenditure. In this episode, we're joined by Matt Fawcett from the Global Campaign on Military Spending UK to discuss the dark economics of Britain's war machine.Matt talks about the troubling gaps between what Britain spends on its military and what it spends on climate mitigation or carbon reduction targets. Not to mention international aid budgets. He also adds the GCOMS take...
2023-01-1836 minWarrior NationAnti-Establishment Ethos: Critiquing the Military and Foreign Policy (SE4 EP5)Foreign and military policy doesn’t cut through to voters, or so it is said. What matters to the public is bread and butter economic policy or GP surgery hours. Yet, is it really the case that people simply don’t care about, for example, Yemen? And if not, why not? Is it the case that the main parties are so alike on these matters that there appears to be no space for debate? Much was made of Qatar's human rights record during the men's World Cup, but where was any critique of the RAF's role in trai...
2023-01-0549 minWarrior NationVery Murky: the Arms Trade and Parliament (SE4 EP4)Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) is the preeminent anti-arms trade organisation in the UK. Their advocacy for a safer and fairer world extends into many realms, including Parliament – where defence firms wield unchecked influence over elected politicians.In this episode we speak with Katie Fallon, CAAT’s Parliamentary Coordinator, to discuss the difficulties of working in spaces where militarism and war are seen as inevitabilities. Our discussion is wide-ranging: from the revolving door to the multi-faceted opportunities for lobbying in a broke political system.You can keep up to date with CAAT's incredible work here...
2022-12-1541 minWarrior NationGentleman Bureaucrat Masculinity: Liberal Militarism and the Civil Service (SE4 EP3)When it comes to critiquing and analysing how Government works to support the military, the focus is always on politicians and the lobbying work that seeks to influence them. But what about the people in Whitehall who oil the political machine? Civil servants out-live the ministers, cabinets and governments they work for, and have more influence than we fully understand. If the overall culture within the civil service is pro-military, then it stands to reason that the mechanics of government will naturally support the armed forces.In this episode we speak with Hannah Wright, a scholar who...
2022-11-3044 minWarrior NationLifting the Rock: the Military and Justice (SE4 EP2)From Deepcut to sexual abuse cases and war crimes, the UK military and MOD are no stranger to legal controversy. And when you read back through the reportage around this lamentable list one name recurs again and again, acting in opposition to power and in favour of fairness and human rights.Emma Norton is Director and co-founder of the Centre for Military Justice, whose work we at Forces Watch greatly admire. She is also former head of the legal team at human rights organisation Liberty and lectures twice a year at the Defence Academy on human rights a...
2022-11-1646 minWarrior NationDirty Secrets: the Press and the Military (SE4 EP1)Back in 2003, every national British newspaper bar the Guardian supported the invasion of Iraq - including The Guardian's sister paper, The Observer. Unfortunately, this was not an anomaly (dodgy dossiers or not). The sad truth is that it is very hard to find critical pieces on the UK's armed forces. And since the Edward Snowden leaks, Britain's intelligence establishment has worked assiduously to ensure that even The Guardian begins to tow the line.You really can’t talk about British defence and security journalism without mentioning today’s guest. Richard Norton-Taylor covered defence and security for The Guar...
2022-11-031h 17
Warrior NationUnpacking Armed Forces Day (feat. Dr Ross McGarry)In this special episode of Warrior Nation, Joe is joined by Dr Ross McGarry to discuss the deeper and varied meanings behind Armed Forces Day. In 2017, when Liverpool hosted the Armed Forces Day national event, Ross ventured out onto the streets of his home town to experience proceedings with a critical - and analytical - eye. He reflects on his findings and highlights how the event offered up a sanatised view of military life that is out of touch with the reality.You can read Ross' 2019 article in the journal Visual Ethnography here. To find our more...
2022-06-2732 minWarrior NationWar and Memory: Culture (SE3 EP6)In the final installment of our series on war and memory, Joe speaks with Essex University historian Lucy Noakes and Chicago-based artist Michael Rakowitz on the creation of cultural memories around armed conflict. They cover a wide array of topics, including the Churchillian turn of British World War II narratives and how the words monument and demonstrate are linked by their roots in Latin. Their discussion beautifully encapsulates a number of topics covered across the series and explores more radical ways of remembering - or remembering better. Lucy Noakes is a social and cultural historian...
2021-12-0940 min
requires improvement026// British Child Soldiers For The Class War feat. Joe GlentonWe are honoured to be joined by journalist and ex-soldier Joe Glenton, as we consider the role of militarism in Britain and the UK education system. We draw upon themes in Joe's new book out this month entitled "Veteranhood: Rage and Hope in British Ex-Military Life", in a wide ranging discussion around how the military is presented in schools, the curriculum and society at large. We discuss the outrageous headlines recently surrounding the allegations of abuse towards 16-18 year old children at the Army Foundation College, lesser known histories of radical struggle from within the armed forces and the pressing...
2021-11-251h 06Warrior NationWar and Memory: Empire (SE3 EP5)In the fifth instalment of our series on war and memory Joe speaks with Harvard historian Maya Jasanoff on the ways Empire is remembered in Britain and the disconnect between the state's projection of the country's colonial past vis-a-vis the way it's seen by different communities. Maya also discusses how these histories - including the cult of Winston Churchill and nostalgia for World War II - bleed into more recent British military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the decision to leave the European Union.Maya Jasanoff is Coolidge Professor of History at H...
2021-10-0627 minWarrior NationWar and Memory: Moral Injury & Trauma (SE3 EP4)In the fourth installment of our series on war and memory we speak with ex-British Army mental health clinician Christian Hughes on the traumatic impacts of conflict. He gives a detailed breakdown of PTSD, critiques the condition's framing as a 'heroes injury' only experienced by those on the front-line, and introduces us to the notion of moral injury.In a wide-ranging discussion, Christian also explains that combat isn't the only element of an armed forces career with psychological impacts - arguing that military training conditions soldiers to respond to traumatic events in ways that are counter-productive to t...
2021-09-0142 minWarrior NationWar and Memory: Pathologising Critique (SE3 EP3)In the third installment of our series on war and memory we speak with American academic and Vietnam veteran Jerry Lembcke on how resistance to the conflict in South East Asia was framed during the 1960s and 70s. The discussion focuses on two key positions in Jerry's work: stab in the back theory and the pathologising of dissent through the coining of post-traumatic stress disorder. He unpacks how in the former, mysogny was used to paint anti-war activists as weak and effeminate against the strength and heroic resolve of the troops; whilst in the latter, the critical voices of...
2021-08-0541 min
Partly Political BroadcastPolitical Own Goals - Keeping Football Out Of Politics, Responsible Irresponsibility, Bills Bills Bills and Joe Glenton on his new book VeteranhoodFootball sadly isn't coming home or trying to settle in England for three years despite being a European citizen which the Home Office wouldn't allow. But its ok because we still have racism and Covid which refuse to leave home and move on with their lives so we still feel like we have a busy house. More on restrictions lifting as things get worse, the Policing Bill, Elections Bills and Borders Bill. Plus defence writer Joe Glenton (@joejglenton) on his upcoming new book 'Veteranhood'.PRE-ORDER JOE'S BOOK HERE: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Veteranhood-by-Joe-Glenton-author/9781913462451
2021-07-131h 16Warrior NationWar and Memory: Witnessing (SE3 EP2)In the second episode of our new series on war and memory, we speak with founder of Forensic Architecture Eyal Weizman and academic Susan Schuppli on the role memory plays in testimony and witnessing. The discussion explores the different approaches to evidence in war crimes tribunals, starting with the Nuremburg trials of 1945, and explains how the contemporary work of Forensic Architecture is helping to unlock the hidden memories of the victims of state violence. Susan Schuppli is a researcher, documentary filmmaker, and artist based in the UK, whose work examines material evidence from war a...
2021-07-0136 min
Warrior NationWar and Memory: Statues (SE3 EP1)In the wake of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, and the Conservative Government's attempt to impose a maximum sentence of 10-years for vandalising statues, we speak with academics Natasha Danilova and Adam Elliot-Cooper on the national histories constructed through memorials and statues, and the spaces of reconstruction opened up by their removal. The discussion covers a wide range of themes, including the different interest groups involved in the creation of war memorials; the lack of public discussion around commemoration and who gets to be remembered; how commemoration presents a sanitised version of history that blocks controversial discussions...
2021-06-0357 minWarrior NationFilling the void in defence journalism: Phil Miller in conversation with Joe GlentonJoe Glenton is joined by Phil Miller, staff reporter at Declassified UK and author of 'Keenie Meenie: The British mercenaries who got away with war crimes', for a wide ranging discussion on defence journalism and coverage of the UK military in the media. Declassified provides critical investigative reporting on the UK military, security services and foreign policy. The organisation was blacklisted by the Ministry of Defence earlier this year. Despite this, it is filling the void which existed in foreign policy and defence journalism.We d...
2020-12-1743 minWarrior NationWhat's wrong with Armed Forces Day?In the first episode of our second series, we talk about Armed Forces Day with Symon Hill of the Peace Pledge Union, the pacifist campaigning organisation. We discuss the context in which the annual event came into existence in 2009, how it works to market armed forces recruitment and the military more generally and promote arms companies, and the issues it raises about the normalisation of weapons and violence. Should Armed Forces Day be changed into Public Sector Workers Day or is the herofication of certain workers problematic and unhelpful to their interests.We also discuss...
2020-06-2743 minWarrior NationLowkey in conversation with Maya Evans and Joe Glenton: Militarism, War and ResistanceFor the finale of our first podcast season, we spoke to political hip hop artist Lowkey about war, militarism, the current political climate, and our hopes and prospects for the future. The event was recorded in front of a live audience at Housmans Bookshop in London on 4 December and co-hosted with peace activist Maya Evans. The music in this podcast is from Hand On Your Gun by Lowkey.Follow us on Instagram.Support the show
2019-12-1153 minWarrior NationRecruitment & militarism: a discussion with the founders of ForcesWatch, David Gee and Emma Sangster.We talk to ForcesWatch’s founders David Gee and Emma Sangster, about recruitment and militarism in the UK and some of ForcesWatch’s key outputs over the years. Join us as we discuss: How and why ForcesWatch beganThe lack of ‘informed choice’ in the military’s enlistment of minorsHow we define militarismHow militaristic the UK is compared to other countries, and whyTurning war into spectacleThe long-term risks and harms of the military’s recruitment of minorsMilitary training - turning young civilians into soldiersThe international context of the UK’s recruitment of minorsMilitary (and wider defence industry) influ...
2019-08-0435 minWarrior NationThe Military in our Midst - with Vron Ware and Antonia DawesWe talk to academics Vron Ware and Antonia Dawes about their ongoing project with Mitra Pariyar: a two-year study of an army town in Wiltshire. We discuss why and how significant policy changes over the last ten years are changing the relationship between military and civilian communities, and the impacts of relocating thousands of soldiers from Germany to newly expanded ‘super-garrisons’ in rural England. Join us as we discuss:What led Vron and Antonia into studying military affairsCommonwealth recruits or 'military migrants'What their ‘Military in our Midst’ project entailsWhat is behind the Army Basing programmeWhat it’s like for...
2019-07-2951 minWarrior NationArt and activism: satirising military propaganda - with Darren CullenWe talk to satirical artist Darren Cullen about what led him away from a career in advertising and into a career producing political art. He uses the language of advertising to make work about the empty promises of consumerism and the lies of military recruiters. Join us as we discuss:Military recruitment advertisingThe backlash of criticising the ‘sacred’ military institution Going ‘one step further’ than advertising messagesHis work at the permanent collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum His ‘Action Man: Battlefield Casualties’ video series produced with Veterans for Peace, and voiced by Matt BerryHis support for the campaign to raise the m...
2019-07-2127 minWarrior NationCritical Military Studies - with Victoria BashamWe are joined by Dr Victoria Basham, a reader in International Relations at Cardiff University and President of the European International Studies Association. Her research focuses on issues of gender, race, class and sexuality in relation to militaries, militarism and militarisation. She is editor of the Critical Military Studies (CMS) journal and a pioneering figure in the field. Our wide-ranging discussion looks at:The unique insights early career access to the military has given herHow military personnel have often led the struggle for dignity and equality, and the struggles they face within the British military institutionThe or...
2019-07-0856 minWarrior NationThe Global Arms Trade - with Andrew FeinsteinIn the wake of the Court of Appeal ruling that UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia are illegal given war crimes in Yemen, we talk to expert Andrew Feinstein about his life exposing the global sale of arms. We pull apart the nature of this trade, discuss some little known facts about it and consider how it is perceived and portrayed in British society.Join us as we discuss:The corruption and power of the global arms tradeAndrew Feinstein's journey - what drove him to do this work?How the arms trade is culturally depicted and...
2019-06-2151 min
Warrior NationThe Militarisation Offensive - with Paul DixonIn our opening episode we talk to academic Professor Paul Dixon about his research into the British military’s efforts to militarise society, encroach on democracy and shape public attitudes to war and defence. We look at the ideas behind our joint 2018 ‘Warrior Nation’ report, from which our new podcast takes its name, in an effort to understand exactly how the military has sought to shape its relationship to society. Join us as we discuss:The ‘militarisation offensive’ post the Iraq and Afghanistan warsWhy the military began to encroach on democracyThe political character of the British militaryMil...
2019-06-1636 min
A Quaker Take#19 – Q:Witness – Challenging militarismThis Q:Witness we discuss the tide of militarisation in Britain and how to take action to stop it. The belief that military solutions are superior is one of the things that makes war more likely. From cadets in state schools to Armed Forces Day, we hear how new initiatives amount to a deliberate militarisation of society to counteract falling support for Britain’s wars. We hear about the movement to challenge militarism in Britain.
Suki Ferguson, debut interviewer, speaks to Ellis Brooks and Sam Walton who work to challenge militarism in education and across society.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Payne speaks to...
2017-07-2840 min