Curious Worldview

Ryan Faulkner

Interviews featuring a mix of investigative journalists, affecting writers, economics, geopolitics, explorers and fascinating life stories. Whether it's the supply chain of semi-conductors, a 25 year cold-war CIA veteran, negotiation with Chris Voss, Warden of Sweden's biggest prison, Lawrence Krauss and the universe, Cricket with the GOAT Gideon Haigh, Taiwan, China, the great adventurers and explorers the list goes on... Check out the 'Starter Packs' I put together for the best place to start with the pod... economics, Subscribe to the Substack: https://curiousworldviewpod.substack.com/subscribe

  1. Joe Aston | From Rear Window to Rampart

    2D AGO

    Joe Aston | From Rear Window to Rampart

    RampartThe Chairman's LoungeCurious Worldview Substack*Leave a review on Apple or Spotify* (nothing does more to help grow the show) Podcast Starter Packs Investigative JournalistsOffshore Finance/Kleptocracy & Money LaunderingGeopolitics/Economics/Economic DevelopmentExplorers & Adventurers--- Who is Joe Aston? For my Australian audience, you'll likely know him from his debut book The Chairman's Lounge, a forensic and damning account of Qantas. But for anyone international, put simply, Joe is among Australia's most consequential journalists. He took over the Australian Financial Review's Rear Window column at just 28, and across a twelve-year tenure transformed it into the most anticipated daily column in Australian business and politics.  His former editor called it journalism "like never before seen in Australia and arguably the world."  Joe's reporting contributed to the downfall of the CPA Australia CEO and board, the resignation of Rio Tinto's chairman, Alan Joyce's early exit from Qantas, and a long list of uncomfortable reckoning in between. In and amongst the many themes that this podcast covers, the most consistent among them has been journalism and good journalists.  And I say that because I think I caught Joe at an interesting juncture in his life. In the last twelve months Joe’s gone independent. Leaving the security of the AFR to launch his own media company, Rampart.  The work is the same. Breaking the stories from business and politics that his readers have come to expect, but the model is new, and it puts Joe in unfamiliar territory as an entrepreneur which I think is another example of how media business models are being re-cast, and indicative of the direction the best talent is heading towards.  We recorded this about ten months into the Rampart journey. We cover his influences, his early years in PR, his personal battles, Rampart and throughout it all, what Joe judges to be, good journalism.  Timestamps with Joe Aston 00:00 Introduction To Joe 02:06 Joe’s Influences 08:01 Alcoholism 14:54 From The Rear Window To Rampart 33:59 Journalistic Courage and Ethical Boundaries 44:04 Lessons from PR and Corporate Life 54:49 Goals for Rampart and Future Media Innovation 01:08:06 Serendipity

    1h 9m
  2. Dennis Voznesenski | How Agriculture Explains Geopolitics

    FEB 16

    Dennis Voznesenski | How Agriculture Explains Geopolitics

    War & Wheat - Dennis VoznesenskiMy Substack (Subscribe)*Leave a review on Apple or Spotify* (nothing does more to help grow the show) Podcast Starter Packs Offshore Finance/Kleptocracy & Money LaunderingGeopolitics/Economics/Economic DevelopmentExplorers & AdventurersInvestigative Journalists--- Dennis Voznesenski is an Australian analyst who has spent his career deep in the world of global agriculture. He is the author of 'War & Wheat'. In this conversation, Dennis explains how geopolitical forces, from trade wars to energy policy, ripple through agricultural markets in ways that are difficult to predict but impossible to ignore.  We discuss the unique position of Australian farmers, who compete on the global stage without the subsidies that prop up producers in the US, Europe, and beyond. The unbelievable masses of production. The efficiency of it. How the America's are basically where it all comes from. We get into why farmers are increasingly investing in on-farm storage as a strategic response to volatile markets, how infrastructure gaps in developing regions are holding back enormous agricultural potential, and the tension between the push for greater productivity and the long-term sustainability of the land itself.  Dennis also walks us through how historical events provide essential context for understanding where agricultural markets are heading today, and helps explain the current moment through the lens of agriculture.  Timstamps. 00:00 The Global Landscape of Agriculture 12:11 Insights from the Agricultural Industry 24:38 The Role of Technology and Innovation 31:22 The Impact of Global Events on Agriculture 52:56 Future Prospects and Opportunities

    57 min
  3. Jeff Farrell | Venezuela... Latin American Correspondent & 'Cocaine Dairies'

    FEB 2

    Jeff Farrell | Venezuela... Latin American Correspondent & 'Cocaine Dairies'

    Jeff Farrell 'Cocaine Diaries' My Substack (Subscribe)Jeff Farrell Website *Leave a review on Apple or Spotify* (nothing does more to help grow the show) Podcast Starter Packs Offshore Finance/Kleptocracy & Money LaunderingGeopolitics/Economics/Economic DevelopmentExplorers & AdventurersInvestigative Journalists--- When Irish journalist Jeff Farrell arrived in Venezuela during the Chávez years as a Latin American correspondent, he couldn't have chanced a more serendipitous encounter that lead to one of the most harrowing stories he'd ever tell. That encounter was with the Irish drug mule, Paul Keeney, and his story that followed became the bestselling book, 'Cocaine Diaries', which pulls back the curtain on the nightmarish reality of Venezuela's prison system: the corruption, the violence, the abuse and the absurdity. Jeff discusses the extraordinary risks facing foreign correspondents trying to report from Venezuela today, where journalists are turned back at the airport and armed civilian militias called 'colectivos' who patrol the streets. We discuss his forthcoming novel 'Last Call of Caracas', which he's been writing for eight years and life imitated art a bit early in this case because by sheer coincidence, the novel ruptures to a scene of the US attacking Venezuela  Throughout it all, Jeff reflects on a country he clearly loves but can no longer safely visit—and holds onto hope that one day, when the regime falls and the diaspora returns, he might get to write something positive about Venezuela for a change. Timestamps 00:00 Jeff Farrell & The Story 03:00 The Risks of Reporting from Venezuela 06:13 The Challenges of Foreign Correspondence 09:03 Life Under a Regime of Fear 11:59 The Complexities of Venezuelan Society 14:57 The Impact of Corruption and Socialism 18:12 The Beauty and Paradox of Venezuela 21:06 The Geography and Demographics of Venezuela 24:04 The Journey of a Foreign Correspondent 27:07 The Serendipitous Encounter with Paul Keeney 44:27 A Journey into the Venezuelan Prison System 51:47 Serendipity and the Book Deal 54:07 Paul Keeney's Life and Struggles 01:00:22 The Harsh Realities of Venezuelan Prisons 01:08:14 Escape from Venezuela 01:13:54 The Aftermath of the Book and Future Plans 01:18:04 Reflections on Journalism and Human Experience

    1h 27m
  4. Jeremy Dicker | 10 Geopolitical Predictions For 2026

    JAN 26

    Jeremy Dicker | 10 Geopolitical Predictions For 2026

    International Intrigue - NewsletterMy Substack (Subscribe) *Leave a review on Apple or Spotify* (nothing does more to help grow the show) --- Previous guests on the podcast similar to this! Robert Kaplan - A World In CrisisPodcast Starter Packs Offshore Finance/Kleptocracy & Money LaunderingGeopolitics/Economics/Economic DevelopmentExplorers & AdventurersInvestigative Journalists--- Jeremy Dicker is a co-founder of International Intrigue, a daily geopolitics newsletter delivered to over 150,000 inboxes worldwide. Before entrepreneurship, Jeremy spent 14 years as an Australian diplomat, with postings in both Latin and North America, Peru, Mexico and LA specifically. International Intrigue was born during London lockdown when Jeremy and his co-founders (fellow former diplomats) jumped on the new media of newsletter’s nascent industry and decided to write to make geopolitics accessible, witty, and funny Jeremey boasts that the writers from ‘The Diplomat’ read the newsletter which is a huge flex given just how good that TV show is.  Jeremy and his team published a 25 predictions for 2026 article just a few weeks ago and that’s exactly what we go through on todays episode.  Timestamps 00:00 - Jeremy & International Intrigue 01:01 - Taiwan & Global Disorder 11:35 - Prediction 1: Europe's Reliance on the US 21:09 - Prediction 2: Cryptocurrency's Mainstream Adoption 28:22 - Prediction 3: Nuclear Energy and Tech Giants 33:13 - Prediction 4:AI and the Bubble Debate 39:59 - Prediction 5: Russia Ukraine 42:44 - Prediction 6: The Pink Tide: Shifts in Latin American Politics 58:24 Prediction 7: Climate Change 01:08:32 - Diplomacy and National Interests: Balancing Values and Policies 01:09:03 - Prediction 8: BRICS vs Quad 01:15:12 - US Foreign Policy and Global Dynamics 01:19:11 - Diplomatic Challenges Under Trump 01:26:12 - Prediction 9: The Future of the UN and Global Governance 01:30:02 - Prediction 10: China's Technological Ascendancy 01:34:53 - Australia's Role in Global Affairs

    1h 37m
  5. Nicolas Niarchos | Cobalt, China & The Congo... The Elements Of Power

    JAN 19

    Nicolas Niarchos | Cobalt, China & The Congo... The Elements Of Power

    The Elements of Power - Nicolas NiarchosMy Substack (Subscribe) *Leave a review on Apple or Spotify* (nothing does more to help grow the show) --- Previous guests on the podcast similar to this! Nicolas Niarchos First Appearance On The PodTim Butcher - Blood River (CLASSIC EP)Adam Hochschild - King Leopold's GhostJon Lee Anderson - New Yorker Staff Writer, A Life Of AdventurePodcast Starter Packs Offshore Finance/Kleptocracy & Money LaunderingGeopolitics/Economics/Economic DevelopmentExplorers & AdventurersInvestigative Journalists--- In this episode, New Yorker journalist Nicolas Niarchos discusses the supply chains behind the clean energy transition from child miners and Chinese-owned mega-mines to the coming global scramble for critical minerals. I’ve been eagerly anticipating his new book, and I reckon it is tailor made for this podcast. It’s the history of cobalt it’s extraction and it’s applications and shows how a single mineral has reshaped geopolitics, powered the rise of China’s technological superiority, and further locked millions of Congolese into one of the most brutal extraction economies on earth. This is a story that begins with King Leopold the second the original plunder of the Congo but then runs through Cold War dictatorships and kleptocracy, and ends with Apple, Tesla, BYD, and the race to dominate the future of energy. It’s Nic’s second appearance on this podcast on a similar subject, therefore we avoided to go-over all the same ground as last time. The first episode was about his New Yorker piece on artisanal mining in the Congo, his arrest in the Congo and the foundations for his worldview in covering this issue. Today we go into his new book. Inside the mines of Katanga, inside the rise of China’s battery empire, inside the corruption that still governs Congo’s political system, and inside the coming resource wars that will define the next half-century. Eighty percent of the world’s cobalt now comes from the Congo.Most of it is controlled by Chinese companies.As much as 20% of it is still dug out of the ground by hand.Kinshasa, Congo’s capital, is expected to have 40,000,000 people by 2050.And the world is about to need more of what’s beneath their feet than ever before.

    1h 18m
  6. Tim Cope | In The Shadow Of Genghis Khan - 10,000km & 3 Years On Horseback Across The Mongol Empire's Eurasian Steppe

    12/22/2025

    Tim Cope | In The Shadow Of Genghis Khan - 10,000km & 3 Years On Horseback Across The Mongol Empire's Eurasian Steppe

    On The Trail Of Genghis Khan - Tim Cope (Book) My Substack (Subscribe) *Leave a review on Apple or Spotify* (nothing does more to help grow the show) --- Previous guests on the podcast similar to this! Jack Weatherford - Genghis Khan & The Making Of The Modern World Robyn Davidson - Australian Living Legend. Documenter Of Nomads. Jon Lee Anderson - New Yorker Staff Writer, A Life Of Adventure. --- Tim Cope underwent a three year journey traversing the entire Eurasian steppe, starting in Karakorum, the old Mongolian capital, westwards through Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and finally Hungary until he reached the Danube river.  The journey took him three years to complete and 4 horses. He picked up a dog along the way, and his journey saw him robbed, threatened, welcomed and exposed to murderous heat and cold. I first wrote to Tim 4 years ago… so we’ve maintained a very spotty correspondence in anticipation for today.  Tim Cope is is an Australian adventurer, author, filmmaker, photographer, expedition guide - a fluent Russian speaker - a bloody good writer and someone generous enough to offer me their time and invite me into their home here in rural Victoria.  Timestamps. 00:00 - Tim Cope 02:50 - The Magic Of The Steppe 10:10 - Tim's Coma & Writing 13:15 - Tim's Backstory 24:50 - On The Trail Of Genghis Khan 33:01 - The Eurasian Steppe 37:41 - The Decline Of Nomadic Cultures 46:27 - Entering Into Kazakhstan & Finding A Dog 1:02:55 - Tim's Growing Reputation On The Steppe 1:10:50 - Alcoholism On The Steppe 1:19:12 - Abandoned Goldmine For The Winter 1:38:45 - Prostitution  1:50:00 - Tim's Father Passing Away 2:05:46 - Hungary 2:12:30 - The Problem Of Fitting Back In 2:24:50 - Success & Book Publishing 2:31:00 - How Mongolia Has Changed 2:44:10 - Tim's Evolving Thoughts On Both Russia & Ukraine

    2h 59m
  7. Eric Beecher| The Rogues Gallery Of Media Moguls & The Men Who Killed The News

    12/01/2025

    Eric Beecher| The Rogues Gallery Of Media Moguls & The Men Who Killed The News

    The Men Who Killed The News (Book) My Substack (Subscribe) * Consider leaving a review on Apple or Spotify * (nothing does more to help grow the show) --- Eric Beecher is a veteran journalist, editor and entrepreneur whose experienced first hand the dramatic evolution of the previous 40 years of media.  From broadsheet’s to TV to the internet to facebook, podcasts, now AI. Eric has been across all these, both an employee and employer as the business models were repeatedly shaken and recast.  And he asks, what is the cumulative damage when owners of journalism place profits and power over civic responsibility and decency.  That book is called, ‘The Men Who Killed The News’ and series a history of media moguldom, the perennial story of power and influence chipping away ever so gradually, the role good journalism esteems in helping us make sense of the world. It’s not nostalgia for the good old days, but rather an attempt to understand how we got here, and whether there is anything that can be done about it. Eric was formerly the youngest editor at the Sydney Morning Herald before being recruited by Murdoch himself to run at the time, his latest media acquisition, before resigning sighting ethical differences.  Eric runs today alongside his colleagues, Crikey, The Mandarin and SmartCompany. Eric is a major architect of modern Australian independent media, and it is my pleasure to welcome him to the podcast.

    52 min
  8. Gareth Gore | Political Fallout & 'Smear Campaign' From Opus Dei

    11/17/2025

    Gareth Gore | Political Fallout & 'Smear Campaign' From Opus Dei

    Gareth Gore | Unveiling The Conspiracy Of Opus Dei (his first appearance) Gareth Gore - Opus (Amazon) Subscribe To The Curious Worldview Substack --- This is Gareth’s second appearance on the podcast.  It is the political fallout from everything covered in our first episode where he told the story for how he serendipitously uncovered Opus Dei’s hidden power and financial manipulation while investigating the ruins of the Spanish bank, Banco Popular.  It began as a routine story but evolved into the discovery of a global network of manipulation, coercive recruitment, psychological abuse, and enormous financial flows routed through myriad opaque foundations. Gareth spoke about how Opus Dei maintains a polished, benign public image, but secretly operates an inner core of numeraries—members bound by vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty—who are tightly controlled, isolated, and monitored. It’s systematic practices include corporal mortification, constant surveillance, abuse, both emotional and physical and the exploitation of vulnerable young women tantamount to human trafficking. Opus Dei used Banco Popular as a piggy bank for decades, funnelling money through shell foundations and offshore channels to fund their impressive global expansion. This is a Direct quote from Gareth’s first appearance… “This is an organisation that seeks to re-Christianize of the entire world… Opus Dei is informed by a warped, distorted, conservative, radical reading of the Bible. It embeds itself in key institutions, especially in the United States. and Despite its Vatican legitimacy, Opus Dei uses secrecy and corporate structures to evade accountability.

    51 min
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4.9
out of 5
45 Ratings

About

Interviews featuring a mix of investigative journalists, affecting writers, economics, geopolitics, explorers and fascinating life stories. Whether it's the supply chain of semi-conductors, a 25 year cold-war CIA veteran, negotiation with Chris Voss, Warden of Sweden's biggest prison, Lawrence Krauss and the universe, Cricket with the GOAT Gideon Haigh, Taiwan, China, the great adventurers and explorers the list goes on... Check out the 'Starter Packs' I put together for the best place to start with the pod... economics, Subscribe to the Substack: https://curiousworldviewpod.substack.com/subscribe

Information

  • Creator
    Ryan Faulkner
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    222
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Curious Worldview
  • Show Website
    Curious Worldview

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