Uncomfortable Conversations substack

This article was first published on the 10th July 2026 in the Australian Financial Review. A selection of Josh’s columns will be published here on Substack a few weeks after they appear in print. Watching the World Cup with my daughter in the pre-dawn glow of the TV, I explained the rules of soccer. You can’t pick up the ball and run. You move towards the goal incrementally, collaboratively. You can’t hang out at your opponents’ goal line waiting for an easy kick.

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. 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.

This article was first published on the 24th July 2026 in the Australian Financial Review. A selection of Josh’s columns will be published here on Substack a few weeks after they appear in print. Elon Musk has opinions about Homer now. When Christopher Nolan cast a black actress as Helen of Troy and a trans man as a Greek soldier, Musk branded him an “anti-white racist” who “desecrated” the Odyssey. Donald Trump Jr piled on. X went berserk.

What does it mean to be a dissident? If you join a protest march, are you dissenting… or conforming? How should you push back against leaders who wield fear and intimidation; against digital technology that dehumanises you and flattens us all? Gal Beckerman is a staff writer at The Atlantic who worked for six years at the New York Times Book Review.

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. 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.

Fable this. Deepseek that. As fascinating as each new A.I. model breakthrough (or breakout) is, are we missing the forest for the trees? The Reverend Josh believes so. In this scintillating Substack Livestream, he leads us to the Promised Land the way all great Messiahs do: with a four-point bureaucratic plan. Along the way, he’ll answer your questions about Israel, sun protection, and how much he can bench. Available for iOS and Android Discussion about this video

Exploding pagers! Enigma codes! Sexy Israeli spies! J Edgar Hoover’s boyfriend’s remote-controlled window opener! And, yes, Trump’s top-secret ballroom bunker. It’s all told with impeccable style by Matt Bevan, the host of If You’re Listening, which is one of Josh’s favourite shows about international intrigue. The show’s companion book, If You’re Listening: Declassified, explores how history is a patchwork of conflicting accounts, misremembered details and outright myths.

G’day humans! As the Uncomfortable Conversations cinematic universe expands, Uncle Josh wants YOU to answer a few quick questions about what you likey and no-likey about the show. In a quick, fun, two-to-three-minute multiple-choice survey, you can help us book guests you love, and give you the best episodes your ears have ever beheld. GO FOR IT, BABY: This survey is completely anonymous, and as always, we truly appreciate your support. Thanks in advance for making the show more your own.

Note: Apologies for the double email. Thanks to everyone who flagged the erroneous link! G’day humans! As the Uncomfortable Conversations cinematic universe expands, Uncle Josh wants YOU to answer a few quick questions about what you likey and no-likey about the show. In a quick, fun, two-to-three-minute multiple-choice survey, you can help us book guests you love, and give you the best episodes your ears have ever beheld.

This article was first published on the 20th March 2026 in the Australian Financial Review. A selection of Josh’s columns will be published here on Substack a few weeks after they appear in print. If you’ve ever had the misfortune of attending an AI conference (and I use “misfortune” loosely, since the canapés are usually excellent), the conversation runs on a predictable track.