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A 'Dictators v Democrats' program https://tamullis.substack.com/
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Democracy is at war. We can see the forces rallied against it: autocratic states like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, techno-aristocrats, religious fundamentalists and populist demagogues.
From the trenches of Ukraine to the halls of power in the US, democratic, free values are under determined assault.
But, there are those who resist.
In 'Why We Fight' we talk to those who claim to be defending democracy; that's everyone from soldiers, protestors, activists, religious leaders, industrialists and politicians.
We find out who they are, what drove them to take up the struggle, what their work is and why their idea of democracy is worth fighting for.
24 Episodes
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In this episode, host Theo Allthorpe-Mullis speaks from Kyiv with Knight, a British volunteer serving in Ukraine’s Azov International Battalion. Knight explains why he left the United Kingdom to join Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion, how he copes with fear and loss on the front line, and why he considers this war a just and necessary struggle. He describes daily life within Azov, the realities of combat in the Donbas, and the misconceptions surrounding the unit. The discussion ranges...
In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, host Theo Allthorpe-Mullis speaks with Oleg Magaletsky, a Ukrainian investor, strategist and one of the founders of the Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum. Oleg argues that true and lasting peace in Europe will only be possible through the decolonisation and disintegration of the Russian Federation. From the Caucasus to Siberia, dozens of captive nations remain under Moscow’s control. Their natural wealth is exploited and their people are...
In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, I speak with Lieutenant Colonel Andrii “Djakonda” Koval, head of the Unmanned Systems Battalion “Kondor” of the 1st Presidential Operational Brigade Bureviy in the Ukrainian National Guard. Djakonda and his soldiers are on the cutting edge of modern warfare—fighting with drones and robotic systems that have reshaped the battlefield from the front line to hundreds, even thousands, of kilometres into enemy territory. From reconnaissance an...
In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, I speak with Rosie Cecil — head of strategic partnerships for Mission Ukraine UK and a medic/ambulance driver with Mobile Medical Rescue (MMR). For three years, Rosie has volunteered in Ukraine, supporting frontline medics, delivering vehicles and aid, and driving into danger zones to evacuate the wounded. We discuss her journey from delivering generators to war-torn villages in 2022 to running medical evacuations in the “grey zone” toda...
On this unique episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, I speak with LK, a Hong Kong artist, puppeteer, playwright, and dissident now living in exile in France. LK’s story is one of resilience, creativity, and defiance. We discuss how art can resist silence, the dangers and power of puppetry and object theatre, and the struggle to create freely under censorship. LK opens up about leaving Hong Kong in 2019, the wave of repression that followed the National Security Law, and the transnat...
In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, I speak with Dr Mark Clifford President of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, journalist, academic, and author of The Troublemaker, a biography of Jimmy Lai. Mark spent nearly three decades in Hong Kong, working as editor-in-chief of the South China Morning Post and The Standard, and serving on the board of Apple Daily. He witnessed the city’s democratic flowering under Governor Chris Patten, its crushing under Beijing’s ...
In this very special episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, we are honoured to speak with General David H. Petraeus: former CIA Director, Commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and one of America’s most respected military leaders. Across a remarkable career at the highest levels of military and intelligence service, Petraeus has had a front-row seat to the great struggles between democracy and dictatorship; from the Cold War to counterinsurgencies in the Middl...
“If you fire, fire at me.” During Hong Kong’s Umbrella Revolution in 2014, Ray Wong saw an older man stand in front of armed police and offer his life to protect the crowd. That moment changed Wong forever, and set him on a path from student protester to activist leader, and finally into exile. In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, Ray — now policy and strategy advisor at Hong Kong Watch — tells his story: how the Umbrella Revolution brought together a generation, why “Liber...
In this compelling episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, we sit down with Professor Tim Wilson - academic, filmmaker, YouTuber, and former politician - in London to explore the crisis facing modern democracy and what we can do about it. Professor Wilson brings a unique perspective, having taught in authoritarian countries including Russia, where he met Vladimir Putin in 2016 ("he emanates evil"), and having infiltrated UKIP from within before resigning over racism. Now through his d...
In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, we’re joined by Professor Mark Galeotti, one of the world’s leading experts on modern Russia, for a sweeping conversation on authoritarianism, democracy, and the future of Putin’s regime. We explore: Why democracy failed in post-Soviet RussiaThe real legacy of Boris Yeltsin and the 1990sHow Putin rebuilt an authoritarian state with elite loyalty and public apathyRussia’s strategic culture and the "first punch" doctrineWhat comes after Pu...
In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight we’re speaking with Jonathan Fink. He was a digital marketing strategist, then Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine changed everything. Now, he’s the creator of Silicon Curtain, a YouTube channel and podcast that battles Russian disinformation with facts, context, and strategic narrative warfare. Be sure to check out his work through the link above! In this episode, we dive deep into: The mechanics of modern propaganda and why fa...
In this gripping episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight we sit down with award-winning journalist and war correspondent John Sweeney. With four decades on the frontlines from Grozny to Kyiv, Sweeney unpacks what he's learned about authoritarian power, the role of propaganda, and why telling the truth still matters. From Chechnya to Ukraine, from the Taliban to Tommy Robinson, Sweeney reflects on how democracies are under siege from bombs and bullets, lies, nostalgia, and digital...
In this powerful episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, We speak with Estonian MP and Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson for an unflinching conversation about Russia’s imperial legacy, the modern authoritarian playbook, and what it takes to defend democracy today. Drawing on decades of experience as a journalist and politician, Mihkelson shares eyewitness insights from the First Chechen War, the Kremlin’s early efforts to dismantle democracy, and how the West has ...
In this episode of Why We Fight, I speak with Adil Raja, a former major in the Pakistani military who became one of its fiercest critics. Now living in exile in the UK, Raja pulls back the curtain on how Pakistan’s military has dominated the country’s politics, enabled extremism, and violently suppressed dissent both at home and abroad. We explore: · His transformation from decorated officer to dissident journalist · His firsthand account of how the military manipulates elections, courts, and...
In this powerful episode of Why We Fight, we speak with award-winning Pakistani investigative journalist Taha Siddiqui, who survived an attempted abduction by Pakistan’s military and now lives in exile in Paris. From exposing military human rights abuses to running The Dissident Club, a bar for global exiles and freedom fighters, Siddiqui shares how authoritarian regimes weaponise identity, faith and fear to silence dissent. We discuss: • How the Pakistani military suppresses press free...
In this episode of Why We Fight we’re again recording in Kyiv, speaking to the legendary war correspondent Paul Conroy. He’s covered nearly every war since Kosovo: Libya, Iraq, Syria and now, Ukraine. He has brought back stories that have made an enormous difference; the human stories, the stories that mattered. We discuss what war is, where in the human spirit it comes from, what resistance can look like, how truth can survive autocracy and what the future may hold for the war co...
In this episode of Why We Fight we’re at the Estonian Embassy in Kyiv, speaking with Ambassador Annely Kolk, Estonia’s highest representative in Ukraine. She has had a storied career in the Estonian Foreign Service, previously serving as ambassador to Turkey, concurrently accredited to Iran and Azerbaijan. In 2017 she helped secure the release of Estonian security personnel in India, earning her the nickname ‘Lioness’ We discuss Estonia’s history with Russian imperialism and their fight...
In this episode of Why We Fight we’re speaking with Jimmy Rushton, a British journalist and defence analyst. He has covered nearly every conflict in the 21st century. He is a geopolitical expert and has been living in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion. We discuss what we can expect from the US in Ukraine, what China may do and the prospects for Ukrainian victory. Enjoy! Oh, and, this work is entirely self funded, if you enjoy it please consider supporting me with ...
In this episode of Why We Fight we’re speaking with Marika Mikiashvili. She's a politician, an academic and an activist working to keep the flame of liberty alight in embattled Georgia, where the regime is trying to turn the clock back to older, darker times of tyranny and repression. We talk about how Georgian Dream stole the 2024 elections, what democrats in other countries can do to help protect Georgian democracy, how it feels to watch democracy slip away and how dictatorship is ter...
In this episode of Why We Fight we’re speaking with Freddie Steimler A 27 year veteran of Norway’s military, he now serves again as a volunteer bringing vital vehicles and equipment into Ukraine for the charity Bergen Hjelper Ukraina. We explore how a children’s theatre in Norway came to support Ukraine, and reflect on his wartime experience to assess how much warfare has changed — and how Russia’s war crimes undermine it both militarily and morally. Paid subscribers can listen to the full ep...
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