Jon Wolfsthal sits down with the leading voices in the fields of international security to discuss the things that are keeping us all up at night in geopolitics.
In his fury of crazy political ideas and executive orders, Donald Trump has began leaning into a complicated issue that’s been part of the national security discourse for decades: missile defense. What is the history behind the “Iron Dome” and American interest in missile defense? Why are people calling for increasing U.S. capabilities? And would such investments make any sense at all? Jon Wolfsthal is joined by experts Joe Cirincione, Lisbeth Gronlund, and Laura Grego to tackle all of this and more.
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31 Jan 2025TRANSCRIPT
One Second Closer to Midnight
This week, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists released its annual Doomsday Clock, counting down to the estimated likelihood of human-made catastrophe - this year, the clock sits at 89 seconds. To break down the clock, how the time is chosen, and why it is the closest to catastrophe it’s ever been, Jon is joined by fellow Bulletin members Steven Miller, Daniel Holz, and Rena Younis.
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24 Jan 2025TRANSCRIPT
Trump's Impact on the Global Nuclear Stage with Jeffrey Lewis
This week’s episode of We’re All Going to Die Radio features a discussion with Jeffrey Lewis, a longtime friend and Director of the East Asia program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Jon and Jeff discuss the impact of Donald Trump on the nuclear state of affairs around the world, including Iran, North Korea, China, Russia, and within the United States.
17 Jan 2025TRANSCRIPT
What the Hell is Happening in South Korea?
On today’s episode of We’re All Going to Die Radio, Jon is joined by friends and collaborators Jenny Town of the Stimson Center and Dr. Toby Dalton of the Carnegie Nuclear Policy Project. Together, they take a deep dive into the current political situation and attempt to answer the question - what the hell is happening in South Korea? Further, with the Trump inauguration looming, Jon, Toby and Jenny examine the US-South Korean relationship and why having more nuclear-armed allies might actually be a very dangerous thing.
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10 Jan 2025TRANSCRIPT
Is This Iran’s Last Chance? Discussing Iran’s Nuclear Future with Richard Nephew
Columbia University Senior Research Scholar Richard Nephew joins Jon Wolfsthal on the first 2025 episode of We're All Going To Die Radio. They discuss Richard latest article in Foreign Affairs where he argues the case against a military solution to Iran’s nuclear potential is getting weaker, why diplomacy is still the best option to end Iran’s nuclear potential, and whether a military strike would be successful. They conclude that there are no easy or perfect solutions, only versions of complex and discuss many of them in a lively discussion. They even get in a little NY sports talk at the same time.
22 Nov 2024TRANSCRIPT
Writing Nuclear Doomsday with National Security Correspondent and Author Fred Kaplan
National Security Correspondent Fred Kaplan discusses the national security dangers of US-China relations and nuclear policy with Jon, revealing the devastating consequences of a second Trump term.
15 Nov 2024TRANSCRIPT
From the Election to the End of the World with Joe Cirincione
As the United States is entering a new nuclear age and a new global arms race, what does a second Trump term mean for our national security? What do the plans of Project 2025 mean for the American nuclear weapons force? How will such modernization and weapon buildup affect America’s relationships with both its allies and enemies? Joe Cirincione joins Jon to help navigate the lunacy of this new administration and the very real and very serious dangers we are now facing…. And how they might get worse. Listen here.
1 Nov 2024TRANSCRIPT
Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity - Where Do We Stand? With Steve Kelly
Steve Kelly, former FBI agent and colleague at the Institute for Security and Technology in California, joins Jon to discuss the intersection between AI and cybersecurity. How has our perceptions of artificial intelligence changed alongside its rapid technological development? What effects does AI have on cybersecurity and how does it affect cyberwarfare? Are these developments not-so-bad in the long term, or are we facing impending catastrophic risk? Tune in to hear Steve and Jon break down all this and much more.
25 Oct 2024TRANSCRIPT
What is Driving China’s Changing Nuclear Policy? with Tong Zhao
As China continues to expand and modernize its nuclear arsenal and policy, the national security risk becomes central to the US-Chinese relationship. But how is China actually changing its nuclear policy? How does the Chinese political leadership see the purpose of a large nuclear arsenal? What threat are both China and the US perceiving? Tong Zhao joins Jon to discuss his recently published report on Chinese nuclear policy and break down all these topics and more. Listen here:
18 Oct 2024TRANSCRIPT
Finding Chinese Missile Test Sites with Eliana Johns
Eliana Johns, Senior Research Associate with the Federation of American Scientists, joins Jon to discuss China’s latest ICBM tests and her recent geolocation project to locate them. What is the significance of these recent ICBM launches? What goes into open-source investigation projects? And how can one use mere images of bushes, dirt and blades of grass halfway across the world to pinpoint critical missile test sites? Find out all this and more here.
11 Oct 2024TRANSCRIPT
How Close Is Iran to a Bomb?
As the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates, so does concern over the current state of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Is Israel likely to target nuclear facilities? How close is Iran actually to having a bomb? What role does the United States play in all this? Kelsey Davenport, Director of Non-Proliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association, and Eric Brewer, Deputy Vice President at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, join Jon to talk all things Iran, nuclear policy, and more.
20 Sept 2024TRANSCRIPT
Navigating Today’s Nuclear Landscape With Strategic Posture Commissioner Madelyn Creedon
Madelyn Creedon joins Jon to talk about the global nuclear landscape and her role as chairperson of the 2023 the Strategic Posture Commission. How will America’s security be affected in this new age of nuclear uncertainty and global competition. What steps and systems are China and Russia building and what are they trying to do. And most importantly, what combination of capabilities and national policy are needed to ensure American security. We consider all of these below:
13 Sept 2024TRANSCRIPT
Joe Cirincione and His Views on the World
Veteran national security analyst and nuclear policy expert Joe Cirincione joins Jon to discuss the changing global nuclear landscape. Is disarmament and arms control still possible in this new and modernizing nuclear age? What do these large investments into nuclear weapons systems mean for our national security? And where are Russia and China in this conversation? Find out more here:
6 Sept 2024TRANSCRIPT
Nuclear Nerds in Space! with Sarah Mineiro
Heather and Jon talked to Sarah Mineiro, one of the world's leading experts on space, military operations and nuclear command and control. The former Republican staff Director for the House Armed Services Subcommittee on strategic affairs let us have it with both barrels as we discuss the United States' vulnerabilities and what we should be doing about it to ensure the security of the United States and its allies.
30 Aug 2024TRANSCRIPT
Kim Jong Un is Not Lonely, with Korea Expert Jenny Down
All over the globe, the world is on fire. Ukraine and Russia, Chinese vessels ramming Filipino vessels, Israel at war with seemingly everybody. With all this divided geopolitical attention, what is going on in North Korea? Jenny Town, senior fellow at the Stimson Center and director of 38 North, joins Jon and Heather to discuss all things North Korea, examine its current security relationships, and show that maybe King Jong-Un isn’t as lonely as he might seem.
23 Aug 2024
Restarting Nuclear Weapon Testing and Other Bad Ideas from Trump’s Brain Trust with author Jeffrey Lewis
Nuclear expert and author Jeffrey Lewis joins Jon to discuss proposals by former Trump officials to restart nuclear testing, and how to manage the growing reliance on nuclear weapons in the world.
20 Aug 2024TRANSCRIPT
Nuclear Command and Control with Eric Schlosser, One of VP Candidate Tim Walz’s Recommended Authors
On today’s episode, renowned journalist and nuclear expert Eric Schlosser joins Jon and Heather to discuss the past, present and future of nuclear command and control, building off his experiences researching and authoring his acclaimed work on the subject. What is shaping the current nuclear climate today? Is there any hope for future generations?
20 Aug 2024TRANSCRIPT
How to Get China to the Negotiating Table?
Original air date: July 26, 2024
The current nuclear landscape is, in a word, dire. From Russian nuclear rattling in Ukraine to China’s expanding arsenal, nuclear proliferation could spell disaster for today’s security environment. Today, Amy Nelson, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, joins Heather to discuss arms control, nuclear futures, and a recent piece she authored in Foreign Affairs covering China’s nuclear arsenal.
Inside a recent episode
Does America Really Need an Iron Dome?
Published 7 Feb 2025 · Transcript excerpt
[…] So one, like what works in missile defense and why can't we have that too? Well, I mean, I think calling it iron dome is a marketing strategy, right? If people consider iron dome working, you know, having a chance to defend against what are essentially, you know, like artillery rockets, mortar shells, short range things, which is a very different question than defending against nuclear armed ICBMs. Nuclear armed ICBMs are going, you know, 30 times the speed of a jet, not being lobbed over the border. And thankfully, we don't have artillery coming from Canada or Mexico at this point. Don't give them any idea. […]
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