
Wars of Choice? (E138)
From The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare by Chris Mayer National Security and Strategy Consultant
June 1, 2026 · 10 min · Episode 139
About this episode
In this episode, Chris Mayer explores the concept of 'wars of choice' and its implications in modern conflicts, particularly in relation to the current situation with Iran.
I haven’t posted for a few weeks mostly because the current armed conflict with Iran poses a lot of questions that I don’t have answers for. One thing I might have an answer for is the question about wars of choice. Recently, this term is used in a way that implies that this armed conflict is illegitimate or unethical. Like many terms used by any faction with intended political impact, the term is left undefined. Without defining terms there can be no logical argument. Rather, the intent is an appeal to emotion, rather than reason. In this episode of the Ancient Art of Modern Warfare, I take on the challenge of defining that term and applying it to modern conflicts. Music: Traditional, The Army Strings, Garryowen (Public Domain) Holst, G. The Planets: Mars Bringer of War, downloaded from Internet Archive
People in this episode
Host: Chris Mayer
Topics covered
- wars of choice
- armed conflict
- ethics in warfare
- political terminology
- modern conflicts
Keywords
- wars of choice
- armed conflict
- Iran
- ethics
- political terminology
- modern warfare
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Internet Archive
Books & works: The Planets: Mars Bringer of War, Garryowen
Places: Iran
More episodes of The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare
- The Rational Actor Model (E139) · June 9, 2026 · 11 min
- Cyber-Mercenaries (E136) · May 15, 2026 · 17 min
- Ceasefire? (E136) · May 2, 2026 · 11 min
- What is a War Crime? (E135) · April 18, 2026 · 10 min
- Winning and Losing (E134) · April 13, 2026 · 8 min
- Beyond IHL: The Law of Neutrality · April 8, 2026 · 13 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare podcast page.