Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight

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 Harry Shukman spent more than a year undercover inside Britain’s far right. We discuss Year of the Rat, Reform UK, online radicalisation, Elon Musk, extremism and what the rise of the radical right means for British democracy. 

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British-Lebanese journalist and filmmaker Oz Katerji joins Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight to discuss the reality of modern war reporting, the collapse of the traditional journalism model, and the difference between journalism and influence.

Drawing on his experiences reporting from Ukraine and making The Battle for Kyiv, Oz discusses the growing danger facing war correspondents, Russia’s targeting of journalists, and why reporters must be able to hold political convictions while remaining committed to the truth.

We also discuss Ukraine, the Western left’s relationship with anti-imperialism, populism, and why Oz believes liberal democracy remains worth defending.

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Is American democracy facing its greatest test in generations?

In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, investigative journalist and bestselling author Katherine Stewart joins us to discuss her latest book, Money, Lies and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. Drawing on nearly two decades of reporting, Stewart explains how billionaire donors, Christian nationalism, disinformation campaigns and highly organised political networks have combined to reshape American politics and challenge democratic institutions.

We discuss the historical roots of Christian nationalism, why Donald Trump became the ideal vehicle for an anti-democratic movement, the role of dark money and propaganda, the future of the Republican Party, the importance of the 2026 midterm elections, and what ordinary citizens can do to defend democracy before it's too late.

Whether you agree with Stewart's analysis or not, this is a fascinating conversation about power, ideology, and the future of one of the world's most influential democracies. 

Katherine Stewart's books:
• Money, Lies and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy – https://katherinestewart.me/books/money-lies-and-god/
• The Power Worshippers – https://katherinestewart.me
• Katherine Stewart's website – https://katherinestewart.me

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 In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, I speak to Paul Johnston, one of Britain's most experienced diplomats, whose 35-year career placed him at the center of some of the defining security crises of the modern era. 

From the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo to NATO, the United Nations, Brexit and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he has helped shape British foreign policy at the highest level. We discuss when diplomacy must be backed by military force, the lessons of the Balkans, Putin's challenge to the rules-based international order, the future of NATO, European rearmament, China's ambitions towards Taiwan, and whether democracies can still work together in an increasingly authoritarian world. 

We also explore what life is really like as an ambassador, how negotiations are conducted behind closed doors, and why institutions like NATO and the United Nations still matter despite their flaws. 

Drawing on decades of experience at the heart of British diplomacy, Johnston offers a candid assessment of the challenges facing the West and explains why diplomacy remains an essential tool in defending democracy, even in an age of authoritarian resurgence. 

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Russia's war against democracy does not end in Ukraine.

Award-winning Nigerian investigative journalist Philip Obaji Jr. joins Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight to expose how Russia's Wagner Group, now operating as Africa Corps, has expanded its influence across Africa through violence, resource extraction, disinformation and political interference. Drawing on years of frontline reporting, Philip explains how Russian-backed forces have exploited instability, committed human rights abuses and used African countries as a platform for wider campaigns against Europe.

Philip also recounts his own experiences investigating Wagner's operations, including being arrested and tortured while reporting in the Central African Republic. He discusses why he continues this dangerous work, the future of democracy across Africa and what Europe must do if it wants to counter Russian influence.

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In this episode we discuss:
• The rise of Wagner and Africa Corps in Africa
• Russian resource extraction and "new colonialism"
• Coups, democracy and military juntas
• Disinformation targeting Africa and Europe
• Migration as a geopolitical weapon
• China's role compared with Russia's
• Reporting from conflict zones and surviving detention
• Why democracy remains worth fighting for

If you enjoyed this conversation, please like, subscribe and share the episode.

Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight is a podcast exploring the struggle between democracy and authoritarianism through conversations with the people on the front lines: journalists, dissidents, soldiers, academics and political leaders.

Subscribe for new episodes every week (if I have a guest!)

Democracy is non-negotiable.

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How is China shaping Africa's media landscape? Are Western democracies making strategic mistakes across the continent? And what happens if Africa becomes the next major battleground in the global struggle between democratic and authoritarian models of governance?

In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, We speak with scholar, journalist, policy analyst and author Emeka Umejei about misinformation, media influence, China-Africa relations and the future of democracy in Africa.

Drawing on decades of experience across journalism and academia, Umejei explains how China uses media partnerships, journalist training programmes and influence networks to advance its interests in Africa, while arguing that Western governments often misunderstand both African priorities and their own shortcomings.

The conversation explores the growing threat of AI-driven misinformation, the competition between China and the West for influence on the continent, the future of internet freedom, and why Africa's leaders must ultimately take responsibility for building democratic resilience and economic independence.

Topics discussed:

• China's media strategy in Africa
• Misinformation and AI-generated propaganda
• The future of democracy across the continent
• Digital sovereignty and internet fragmentation
• Journalism, accountability and democratic culture
• Why Western policymakers misunderstand Africa
• China's economic influence and African manufacturing
• Freedom, human dignity and political pluralism

Guest:
Emeka Umejei is an academic, journalist, policy analyst and entrepreneur whose work focuses on journalism studies, misinformation, digital rights, data governance, China-Africa relations and the future of the internet in Africa. He is the author of Chinese Media in Africa: Perception, Performance, and Paradox and China in African Media: Between Influence Operations and Decolonization.

Follow Emeka Umejei

• Website: Blenders & Dealers
• Latest book: China in African Media: Between Influence Operations and Decolonization

Follow Dictators v Democrats

• YouTube: @DictatorsvDemocrats
• X: @TheoAMullis
• Substack: tamullis.substack.com

Democracy is non-negotiable.

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From identifying the suspects behind the Salisbury poisonings to exposing Russian involvement in MH17, Eliot Higgins helped pioneer a new era of open-source investigation. But in a world of algorithms, conspiracy theories, AI-generated content and collapsing trust, can truth still hold power?

In this episode of Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, we sit down with the founder of Bellingcat to discuss how a man with no formal journalism background built one of the world's most influential investigative organisations from his home in Leicester.

They explore the origins of Bellingcat, the MH17 investigation, information warfare, social media radicalisation, AI-generated misinformation, and why Higgins believes democracy depends on three pillars: verification, deliberation and accountability.

This is a conversation about truth, power, technology, and the future of democracy itself. 

Topics Covered

•  The birth of Bellingcat and open-source intelligence 
•  Investigating MH17 and Russian disinformation 
•  Online radicalisation and conspiracy theories 
•  Social media algorithms and democratic decline 
•  AI, deepfakes and the future of verification 
•  Why trust in institutions is collapsing 
•  How democracy can survive the digital age 
•  Advice for the next generation of investigative journalists

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 This week on Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight, We sit down with former French General Dominique Trinquand — one of Europe’s leading military voices on NATO, Russia, Ukraine and the future of European defence. 

Drawing on decades of experience in NATO, the United Nations, the Balkans and Lebanon, General Trinquand explains why Europe is rapidly rearming, whether NATO can survive a weakening American commitment, and why he believes Europeans must prepare to defend themselves independently.

The conversation explores:

•  Europe’s military weaknesses after decades of underinvestment 
•  Lessons Western armies are learning from Ukraine 
•  France’s long-standing push for strategic independence from the United States 
•  The future of NATO and whether a “European army” is realistic 
•  Germany’s evolving role in European defence 
•  Drone warfare, AI and the transformation of modern combat 
•  Putin, Trump and the pressure reshaping Europe 
•  Democracy, national identity and what younger generations are losing faith in 

General Trinquand also reflects on his family’s history in the French Resistance, his lifelong military service, and why he still believes democracy will endure despite rising authoritarianism.

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 Amber French-Griette — co-founder and Executive Director of the Organization for Nonviolent Movements — joins Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight to explain why nonviolent resistance remains one of the most powerful weapons against authoritarianism. 

From Ukraine’s civic resistance against Russia to the role of strikes, boycotts, social cohesion and information warfare, this conversation explores how ordinary people resist dictators without picking up a weapon. 

We discuss wartime civic resistance, hybrid warfare, democratic resilience, social media, and why authoritarian regimes increasingly fear organised citizens as much as military force. 

Topics include: 

* Nonviolent resistance 

* Ukraine and civic resilience 

* Fighting authoritarianism 

* Information warfare 

* Democracy and freedom 

* Hybrid war and social media 

* Europe’s defence challenges 

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Steven Moore, founder of the Ukraine Freedom Project, joins Dictators v Democrats: Why We Fight to discuss the war in Ukraine, Russian propaganda, faith under occupation, and why freedom remains worth fighting for.

A former Republican congressional chief of staff who arrived in Ukraine days after the full-scale invasion, Moore reflects on frontline aid work, the persecution of religious communities in occupied territories, divisions within American conservatism over Ukraine, and the wider struggle between democracies and authoritarian states.

Topics include:

•  Russian religious persecution in occupied Ukraine 
•  American conservative attitudes towards Ukraine 
•  The role of faith during wartime 
•  Tucker Carlson, propaganda and the information war 
•  Europe, security and rearmament 
•  Freedom, democracy and political violence 
•  The global axis of authoritarian powers

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