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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
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Too often, we avoid real conversations. Entrepreneur Mark Bouris sits down and gets to know people, understands what makes them tick, and shares the great and unusual things they’re doing. There’s no sugar coating. There’s no hiding behind fancy marketing slogans. Just an honest conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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“Authoritarianism in Europe” with Péter Krekó
1:11:33
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Europe is holding its breath ahead of France’s parliamentary elections, in which a “far right” party could win power for the first time since WWII. The hero of 21st-century right-wing European triumphalism is Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán. Many European far-right candidtaes are his devoted fan boys, as are farther-flung admirers like Donal…
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#137 Heston Russell: The Truth Behind Modern Warfare & His Legal Battle with the ABC
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Heston Russell is a former Australian Special Forces Major with over 10,000 hours of leadership in combat operations in the Middle East, After over a decade of combat leadership, including taking the fight to ISIS, Heston Russell was proud to serve his country. Yet, he felt deeply abandoned when the ABC falsely accused his platoon of war crimes. Ma…
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“So… What Can the Democrats Do Now?” with Yascha Mounk
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President Biden’s catastrophic debate performance has left many people worried about his electoral chances against Donald Trump. At this late stage, is there any way out? Here, you get a double feature. In the first half-hour, Josh shares his reaction to the debate and his advice on Democratic messaging. Then the iconic political scientist Yascha M…
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Why does the death of some people punch us in the gut, and others slide by? Does your way of grieving indicate what you value in life? Judith Whelan died last night. She was 62. She was Josh’s mentor, his champion, his arch-defender, playmate, and confidante, despite being his boss’s boss’s boss. She is, in many ways, the person who made Josh’s cur…
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#136: Can Australian Rugby Union Be Saved? An In-Depth Analysis with Stephen Hoiles
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We see all the headlines and outrage regarding Australain Rugby Union, and to be honest, I’m a bit bored with all the media antics. I want to understand the real intricacies of what created this mess. I sat down with Stephen Hoiles, a former Wallaby, grassroots rugby coach for Randwick, and TV analyst, who knows the current state of rugby inside an…
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“Why the Kids Aren’t Alright” with Dr Billy Garvey
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What's up with kids these days? ADHD. Autism. Bullying. Toxic boys. Self-harming girls. Social media addiction. Coddled teens. Anxious parents. A lot of folks are wringing their hands about the young-un's mental health. Josh thought he'd pick the brain of one of the world's leading experts who actually works at the coalface with troubled kids. Dr B…
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#135 Ryan Holiday: Make Philosophy Great Again
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These days, digging into real philosophy and virtues feels like a lost art. It was cool to bounce ideas with Ryan Holiday, a prolific writer who’s breathed new life into stoicism and modern philosophy. Ryan’s bestsellers like ‘Ego is the Enemy’ and ‘The Obstacle Is The Way’ have sold over four million copies and dominated bestseller lists for more …
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Josh was at Jerry Seinfeld's Sydney show last night, which was disrupted by Palestinian protesters in the audience. Josh shares his initial reaction and reflects on Gaza activism and anti-Zionism. To get more content like this and to join in the fun of the Uncomfy Convos multiverse, hit the Substack page at https://uncomfortableconversations.substa…
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Former Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson
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On September 11th, 2001, the Australian prime minister, John Howard, was scheduled to meet with President George W Bush at the White House. While he was hunkered down in Washington during the terrorist attacks, Australia was being run by his deputy, the Acting Prime Minister, John Anderson. John was the equivalent of Australia’s Vice President duri…
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Are Indigenous People Victims? with Anthony Dillon
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Is it useful or debilitating to frame Indigenous people merely as victims of history? Anthony Dillon is an Indigenous Australian, an academic and commentator who rejects today’s popular ideologies about White Australia, invasion and racism. He and Josh wrestle with how to make progress on First Nations issues in an innovative way. This episode is p…
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#134 Matildas Superstar Caitlin Foord: World Cup Reflections & 2024 Olympic Goals
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The Matildas are absolute superstars in Australia right now, and they’ve earned every bit of that title. It was a great thrill chatting with Matildas star Caitlin Foord, and learning about her mindset and life story before she heads off to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this one! We had a great chat about Caitlin's journe…
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Peter Helliar is one of Australia's biggest stand-up comedians. He was on TV every night for eight years as a panellist on The Project. He had his own network sitcom, How to Stay Married. He's a rockstar of the Melbourne Comedy Festival. He was nominated for Australia's biggest TV award, a Gold Logie. Last year, he was a contestant on I'm a Celebri…
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Andrew Tate. Jordan Peterson. Joe Rogan. From where are young males getting their models of masculinity? What does it even mean to Be A Man in the 21st century? Osher Günsberg is the biggest TV host Down Under. For the past 21 years, he has been a mainstay of the country’s biggest shows as the host of Australian Idol, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette…
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#133 Josh Szeps: The Funniest Intellectual Down Under
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Josh Szeps is an Australian-born broadcaster, writer, and commentator known for his work in media and journalism. Josh's curiosity and intellect has seen him interview some of the biggest names in comedy, journalism and politics. Like many working in the media today, he’s dealt with the consequences of discussing controversial issues and agendas. I…
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As the U.K. prepares for a sudden national election in four weeks, Helen Lewis and Josh wrestle with the issues that dominate all around the English-speaking world. Anger about rising prices – check. Anxiety about immigration – check. Dislocation due to globalisation – check. A culture war about wokeness – check. Helen is arguably Britain's most in…
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Josh had a rough week. He shares his advice about how to live a resilient, productive life -- to himself as much as to you. This is a preview of a longer monologue for paid subscribers. We hope you enjoy it. Thanks for listening. To get more content like this and to join in the fun of the Uncomfy Convos multiverse, hit the Substack page at https://…
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#132 Rick Grossman Unfiltered: The Realities of the Rockstar Lifestyle
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Rick Grossman is an Australian rock musician renowned for his role as the bass guitarist for two iconic Australian bands, Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus. Rick's rockstar journey has seen incredible highs and challenging lows. He shot to international fame with the Divinyls but faced a tough battle with heroin addiction, which led to his departure from t…
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“What's Become of the Left?” with Prof. Clive Hamilton
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Does being "left-wing" mean giving everyone equal opportunities? Or does it mean elevating historically excluded groups like gays, trans folks and people of colour? Professor Clive Hamilton is a professor of public ethics at Charles Sturt University. He was active in the civil rights movements of the 1970s and he founded the country's most importan…
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TALKBACK: How Josh Keeps His Poise… and Are Christians Under Attack?
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We opened up the webcams for a live Zoom talkback episode. We discuss fascinating news stories, Josh shares a private essay he wrote to his friends who are having a dispute over Joe Rogan, and you’ll learn how he keeps his cool during testy conversations. Keep an eye out for more live talkback sessions in the future, and make sure you’re signed up …
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#131 Perfectly Imperfect: Inside the chaotic & comedic mind of Millie Ford
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Millie Ford is one of the fastest-rising creatives in Australia. Having amassed over 1.7 million followers online with her uncanny portrayal of everyday teachers, parents and shop assistants. Millie has also appeared on Home And Away and has recently made her musical debut, collaborating with Hellcat Speedracer on the summer anthem Lovestruck. We h…
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Wendy Harmer ‘On Being Australia’s Ricky Gervais'
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Wendy Harmer is the most groundbreaking female comedian in Australia. She shattered the glass ceiling in the 1980s as a stand-up comic and TV host, before ruling the radio airwaves for decades. Her book is “Lies My Mirror Told Me: A frank, funny, fearless memoir”. Josh picks her brain about when she bombed hosting television’s night of nights. This…
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Jaron Lanier: "There's No Such Thing as Artificial 'Intelligence'"
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In Silicon Valley, it's hard to overstate the significance of Jaron Lanier. He coined the term "virtual reality" and founded the first virtual reality company in the '80s. You may recognise him as the dreadlocked polymath in the The Social Dilemma, Netflix's documentary about the harms of social media. Today, he is a leader of a dissident group of …
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