Podcast
Warrior Nation
Hosted by ForcesWatch · EN
Welcome to Warrior Nation, the UK's only podcast offering a critical lens on the British military and its relationship with civil society. The podcast is produced by ForcesWatch, an organisation dedicated to investigating militarisation and military ethics. From the brutality of basic training, to predatory recruitment practices and lobbying, we expose and challenge unaccountable military power.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
War machines: the rise and rise of autonomous systems and drones (SE6 EP2)
Aug 1200:43:43Tap to summarizeWelcome 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 US order, its rivals, the implications for a second Trump-era foreign policy and changes in the post-war settlement and its institutions. Autonomous military and security are developing rapidly. AI seems to be penetrating every area of our lives. Drones are by now well-established weapon system deployed by state and non-state actors alike. But how did we get here? And where are we going? Warrior Nation spoke to two leading experts on these cutting edge technologies.Chris Cole is the founder of Drone Wars UK and the author of a number of reports on the use of armed drones. He has submitted evidence to various Parliamentary Committees on the use of drones, including the Defence Select Committee, the Joint Human Rights Committee and the Committee on Arms Export Controls and is regularly invited to speak to conferences, public meetings and the media on drones, targeted killing and remote warfare. Elizabeth Minor is an Advisor at Article 36, a UK-based NGO focused on reducing harm from weapons, where she primarily covers nuclear weapons and autonomous weapons issues. She sits on the International Steering Group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) for Article 36.This episode was recorded in July 2025.The Warrior Nation podcast is a deep dive into military affairs and the relationship between defence, the armed forces and civil society in modern Britain, produced and edited by ForcesWatch.The show is presented Joe Glenton from ForcesWatch and writer. Joe's most recent book is Veteranhood.Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNationFollow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and sign-up to our newsletter for monthly updates and analysis.Music by Esion Noise.Recorded at the studios of Dan Webster Music. Support the show
Transcribe →Future War: Finding Hope In World At War (SE6 EP1)
Jun 1801:05:40Tap to summarizeWelcome 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 US order, its rivals, the implications for a second Trump-era foreign policy and changes in the post-war settlement and its institutions. Matt Hoh served in the US Marines and State Department in Iraq and Afghanistan before resigning on principle. Since then he has run as a Green Party candidate in the US and campaigned against war and militarism. He joins us to talk about the future and current state of American militarism, his recent visit to Palestine and what hope actually looks like in a world at war. Read Matt's substack here (@matthewhoh). The book, Homeland:The War on Terror in American Life, by Richard Beck is mentioned in the podcast. This episode was recorded in April 2025.The Warrior Nation podcast is a deep dive into military affairs and the relationship between defence, the armed forces and civil society in modern Britain, produced and edited by ForcesWatch.The show is presented Joe Glenton from ForcesWatch and writer. Joe's most recent book is Veteranhood.Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNationFollow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and sign-up to our newsletter for monthly updates and analysis.Music by Esion Noise.Recorded at the studios of Dan Webster Music. Support the show
Transcribe →International anti-militarism: Life, art and loss in the Palestinian diaspora (SE5 EP6)
Aug 27, 202400:55:17Tap to summarizeWelcome 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 and his time spent in Palestine. We also discussed the threat of autonomous weapons, UK and US support for Israel, the deadly effects of war and militarism on the environment and why it's a mistake to think the Israeli occupation doesn't concern you.More on Mohammed's story here. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNationAnd follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch).Sign-up to our newsletter for monthly updates and analysis.Music by Esion Noise.Support the Show.Support the show
Transcribe →International anti-militarism: Neocolonialism in South Korea (SE5 EP5)
May 16, 202400:43:46Tap to summarizeWelcome 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 to support militarist arguments and the military industry, how to sustain yourself during difficult campaigns and the implications of neocolonialism. You can read more about Jungmin's anti-militarist activism here.Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNationAnd follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch).Sign-up to our newsletter for monthly updates and analysis.Music by Esion Noise.Support the show
Transcribe →Anti-militarism & international solidarity: Kathy Kelly (SE5 EP4)
Mar 26, 202400:58:52Tap to summarizeWelcome 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 several countries, she has traveled to Iraq twenty-six times, notably remaining in combat zones during the early days of both US–Iraq wars.Her recent activism has focused on Afghanistan, Yemen, Gaza and US drone policy. She has been arrested more than sixty times, and written of her experiences among targets of US military bombardment and inmates of US prisons. She joined us in mid-March, ahead of the UN ceasefire vote. You can read about her current anti-arms trade campaign Merchants of Death here and find out about supporting the Afghan Peace Volunteers here.Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNationAnd follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch).Sign-up to our newsletter for monthly updates and analysis.Music by Esion Noise.Support the show
Transcribe →International anti-militarism: Ukrainian war resisters (SE5 EP3)
Mar 14, 202400:46:57Tap to summarizeWelcome 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 have refused to engage in the fighting, fleeing to Europe to avoid the draft.Marah Frech is a board member of Connection, a German anti-militarist group which supports deserters and resisters. We explore this new front of struggle which exists at the intersection of war, migration and asylum.You can read about Connection here.Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNationAnd follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch).Sign-up to our newsletter for monthly updates and analysis.Music by Esion Noise.Support the show
Transcribe →International anti-militarism: militarism & patriarchy in Israel (SE5 EP2)
Feb 29, 202400:47:19Tap to summarizeWelcome 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 spoke to Or, an activist and therapist who works with feminist, anti-militarist organisation New Profile. Topics include helping objectors, government repression and the cultural and therapeutic implications of war. You can read about New Profile here.Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNationAnd follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch).Sign-up to our newsletter for monthly updates and analysis.Music by Esion Noise.Support the show
Transcribe →International anti-militarism: Demilitarising Education (SE5 EP1)
Feb 8, 202401:02:00Tap to summarizeWelcome 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 about Demilitarise Education's work here and follow them on Twitter and Instagram. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNationAnd follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch).Sign-up to our newsletter for monthly updates and analysis.Music by Esion Noise.Support the show
Transcribe →International anti-militarism (Season 5 Trailer)
Jan 16, 202400:02:23Tap to summarizeWarrior 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
Transcribe →The Troubles, so called: Britain's war in Ireland (EP3)
Sep 28, 202300:30:00Tap to summarizeWhether 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 war in the North through the prism of a single deadly attack. Ian joined us to discuss his journalism, the relationship between the two conflicts and the prospects for accountability and peace in Ireland.You can follow Ian on Twitter here. You can order Anatomy of a Killing, and Ian's other books, here. Support the show via the Warrior Nation Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WarriorNationOr follow us on Instagram (@forceswatch) and Twitter (@ForcesWatch).Sign-up to our newsletter.Music by Esion Noise. Support the show
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