Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps

Josh Szeps

4.5 (767)
SOCIETY & CULTURE
UPDATED BIWEEKLY

The world has never been more connected. Yet never more divided. We yell at each other from inside our echo chambers. But change doesn’t happen inside an echo chamber. It’s time to get out, to stretch our legs, to step on some land mines. It's time to have an uncomfortable conversation with Josh Szeps. A DM Podcast

14H AGO · BONUS

BONUS: Josh on Israel-Palestine Coverage

Last week, Arab leaders gathered in Egypt for a Palestine Summit. The 22-nation Arab League emerged with a re-energised Arab Peace Initiative to solve the Israel-Palestinian Conflict once and for all. Australia's largest and most trusted news organisation, the ABC, covered the event in an article entitled "This Plan Would End the Israel-Palestinian Conflict, But Israel Doesn't Like It". Josh has thoughts. This is a recording of an episode of Szeps Live, a weekly Substack Video Livestream. Most episodes will not be released in this feed. To watch or listen to Szeps Live (either live or delayed), subscribe for free to our Substack mailing list here. http://twitter.com/joshzepps http://instagram.com/joshszeps/ http://tiktok.com/@uncomfyconversations

1h 21m
2D AGO

"Trump, Gaza & Liberalism" with Senator Dave Sharma

Australians go to the polls in a few months. It looks surprisingly grim for the first-term, centre-left Labor government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. As part of Uncomfortable Conversations' election coverage, Josh invited a select handful of prominent politicians who are likely to be the most interesting figures for listeners from all over the world to enjoy. Senator Dave Sharma is one of them. He's a member of the Opposition centre-right Liberal Party. He was a member of the Australian House of Representatives in the last government but lost his seat to an independent, Allegra Spender, when the conservatives lost power in 2022. He made a comeback the following year to become a senator representing the nation's most populous state. Before entering politics, he was Australia's ambassador to Israel, although he himself is of Canadian-Indian descent. Senator Sharma and Josh discuss populism, Trump, Gaza, nuclear power, and whether liberalism will survive the 21st century. Watch this conversation on YouTube. And you’re missing out on our best ad-free content if you haven’t popped over to the Uncomfy Convos Substack page. http://twitter.com/joshzepps http://instagram.com/joshszeps/ http://tiktok.com/@uncomfyconversations

59 min
6D AGO

"The Next Canadian PM” with Jen Gerson

Justin Trudeau's political career will end this weekend when his replacement is elected as the Canadian Liberal leader. This happens at a moment of extraordinary uncertainty for Canadians. As the U.S. launches a painful trade war, Canadians are being forced to rethink their economic and strategic future. What's going on up there? Who are the candidates you need to know? How do they perceive the Trump tariffs? Jen Gerson is a writer who worked for the Economist, Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail. She's now the co-founder of The Line, a Canadian Substack commentary website and podcast. Here, she gives you everything you need to know about the Great White North. Watch this conversation on YouTube. And you’re missing out on our best ad-free content if you haven’t popped over to the Uncomfy Convos Substack page. http://twitter.com/joshzepps http://instagram.com/joshszeps/ http://tiktok.com/@uncomfyconversations

1h 14m
MAR 3

"Hate Speech or Free Speech?" with Prof. Alan Davison

Perhaps the most dangerous idea is what to do about dangerous ideas. A spate of anti-semitic attacks has led to new laws that will punish Australians for "hate speech". But are hate-speech laws a band-aid over deeper problems like ethnic bigotry, religious conservatism, historical ignorance, social media, migrant integration, university bias, and Islamism - problems which may have been addressed if we'd spoken more openly about them in the first place? That's the argument of Professor Alan Davison, the incoming president of Australia's Free Speech Union. He and Josh discuss free speech, diversity, journalistic integrity, critical thinking, and who gets to speak for minority groups. Is it time to speak more fearlessly, not less? Or is the free-speech position just an excuse for more division and hate? Want to see this conversation at your leisure? Watch it on YouTube. And if you love all two hours of it (who doesn't?), chances are you'll enjoy the rest of the content on the Uncomfy Convos Substack page. http://twitter.com/joshzepps http://instagram.com/joshszeps/ http://tiktok.com/@uncomfyconversations

2h 16m
FEB 27

“Chinese War Games” with Sam Roggeveen

How should medium-sized countries respond when they're bullied by a superpower? The question applies as much to Canada dealing with President Trump as to Australia reacting to China. Last Friday, the pilot of a Virgin Australia flight from Australia to New Zealand noticed a flash of weapons from a Chinese warship just a few hundred miles off the coast of Sydney. Other passenger planes suddenly got mid-air warnings to divert course. The Australian government scrambled to reassure citizens that nothing was amiss. But this is the first time China has sent naval assets so far south down the Australian coast. It's the first time they've conducted live-fire exercises so close to Australia, inside its exclusive economic zone, in a busy flight corridor linking the region's only two Western democracies. What's going on? How should we react? Is a China-U.S. war in the 21st century inevitable? Sam Roggeveen is a former intelligence officer and a foreign policy analyst who now heads the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute, Australia's preeminent international policy think tank. He and Josh discuss China's belligerence, the Australia-U.S. alliance, Trumpist isolationism, Taiwan, NATO, and immigration. His book is The Echidna Strategy, an argument for developing an independent security strategy. Watch this conversation on YouTube. And you’re missing out on our best ad-free content if you haven’t popped over to the Uncomfy Convos Substack page. http://twitter.com/joshzepps http://instagram.com/joshszeps/ http://tiktok.com/@uncomfyconversations

1h 44m
FEB 24

PREMIUM: "Rogue Fentanyl Chemists" with Ben Westhoff

Imagine posing as a drug dealer and going undercover into a Chinese drug lab. That's what Ben Westhoff did to report on how fentanyl -- which kills about 75,000 Americans every year -- gets made. Will Trump's crackdowns at the Mexican border stanch the flow? Why are other rich countries less affected by opioids? How did fentanyl cause the worst drug crisis in American history. Is the problem getting any better? Ben is a best-selling investigative journalist who's written about the fentanyl crisis for The New York Times, The Atlantic and the Los Angeles Times. His book is "Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Created the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic" and his story of heading to China to meet fentanyl's manufacturers is unmissable. To get more content like this, hit the Uncomfy Convos Substack page at https://uncomfortableconversations.substack.com/subscribe http://youtube.com/@JoshSzeps_ http://twitter.com/joshzepps http://instagram.com/joshszeps/ http://tiktok.com/@uncomfyconversations

40 min
FEB 20

"The Great Aussie Rort" with Punter's Politics

Varied are the ways in which political parties, media moguls and corporations screw you. One man who stands up to them all -- or who at least makes funny, informative, viral videos explaining their shenanigans -- is the phenomenon known as "Punters Politics". Millions of Aussies devour his Instagram and YouTube videos to learn how the system is ripping us off. Why is there a revolving door between politicians and the industries they regulate? What does Norway do that we should, too? And what does it mean to “pass the pub test?” From Rupert Murdoch to mining taxes, from government lobbyists to the beauty of the mullet, Konrad and Josh gleefully explore what, exactly, ails democracy... and how to fix it. There’s a lot more terrific stuff over at the Substack page. Don’t miss it at https://uncomfortableconversations.substack.com/subscribe Josh Szeps 𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙 𝕊𝕫𝕖𝕡𝕤 (@joshzepps) on X Instagram (@joshszeps) Josh Szeps on TikTok

1h 16m
FEB 17

PREMIUM: "The Fallacy of Productivity" with Oliver Burkeman

Productivity tips. Life hacks. Calendar apps. Magic mornings. Brain supplements. None of it will free you from the sense that there's more to do than you possibly can. That's because you're finite. Your time is finite, your focus is finite, and you're going to die. No productivity hack can change that. It's a liberating idea, if you look at it the way Oliver Burkeman does. Oliver was the second-ever guest on this podcast, at the height of the Covid pandemic, to discuss how to ignore the news. He returned in 2021 to discuss his profound book, "Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals" (four thousand being the number of weeks in an eighty-year life). Oliver was a columnist for The Guardian in New York before decamping to the English countryside from where he writes his marvellous blog, The Imperfectionist. Today, Oliver and Josh discuss ambition, anxiety, the hedonic treadmill, self-help, Elon Musk, distractedness, boredom, and snorkelling in Yorkshire. Oliver's latest book is "Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts". Be sure to check out even more terrific chats on the Substack page at Subscribe to Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps Josh Szeps 𝕁𝕠𝕤𝕙 𝕊𝕫𝕖𝕡𝕤 (@joshzepps) on X Instagram (@joshszeps) Josh Szeps on TikTok

39 min

See All (321)

Josh Szeps

Host

4.5

out of 5

767 Ratings

Agree w a lot of these reviews

11/23/2024

Peace Lily 6

Josh is clearly highly intelligent but doesn’t push back on the left like he thinks he does. Overall, solid show I’ll continue to listen to. And like another person said- no on the Substack. Podcasters need to leverage this platform to make money elsewhere- we’re not paying to listen nor for “early access” and “full episodes”. Get out w that
Thank you

Feb 2

thermosprotection1

Rauch episode was very thought-provoking. Thank you!
yes

Jan 19

hackasaurus

yes
Batya Episode

Jan 16

Noodles115

Proof the TDS operates in both directions.

The world has never been more connected. Yet never more divided. We yell at each other from inside our echo chambers. But change doesn’t happen inside an echo chamber. It’s time to get out, to stretch our legs, to step on some land mines. It's time to have an uncomfortable conversation with Josh Szeps. A DM Podcast