My loyal convo gang. This discussion thread is now the place where you can put all your Ask Me Anything questions. Whenever you think of something, throw it into the discussion. I’ll be doing one AMA every month. High brow, low brow, funny or fascinating - all questions are welcome. Over to you!
Hi Josh, I passed on the following thoughts to your current bosses this morning. My wife and I wish you all the very best for the future.
"The ABC Board and Management must never tune into their radio programming. Yesterday, a fine and admired presenter gave you all collectively, the finger! Your obsession with issues which affect and promote small sections of the community (LGBQI, Trans, Indigenous, Gaza etc.) are turning your audience away and you seemingly ignore the reasons why? Address the bias, provide balanced viewpoints and tailor your programming to address the concerns of the vast majority of your shrinking audience, not the vocal minorities".
I’m writing to you from my apartment in Tel Aviv. The last week has been hell for us. We’re up and down from bomb shelters all day, and we all have family and friends who have been slaughtered or kidnapped. My entire family has been evacuated from their Kibbutz, which is less than a kilometer from the Lebanese border.
I want to thank you for your thoughtful and empathetic podcast. One of the most difficult things of the past 10 days has been to live through this atrocity and then see the world’s condemnation swing sharply back at Israel. It’s isolating and demoralising. I agree with your central premise that empathy must be shown towards people on both sides of this conflict, and it goes without saying that civilians in Gaza have suffered enormously, and will suffer much more going forward because of this. But because it’s clear how deeply you think about this and how reasonably you are, I think it’s important to clarify and correct a few critical mistakes you made in your analysis.
First of all, the central issue here clearly is not statehood for the Palestinians of self-determination. Israel accepted the UN partition plan in 1947. It offered to give back the West Bank and Gaza to Jordan and Egypt in 1967. It happily gave back Sinai in exchange for peace with Egypt in 1978. It agreed to the Oslo roadmap for peace in 1993. It offered the Palestinians all of the West Bank (with land swaps), Gaza, and East Jerusalem in 2000 and again in 2007. It unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005, pulling settlers out of their homes. If statehood and self-determination were what motivated the Palestinians, there would have been peace long ago.
The juxtaposition of Gazans living under brutal blockade while Israelis dance across the border is also misleading. Two questions have to be asked: Should Israel be blamed for creating a society liberal and open and wealthy enough to allow for dance parties? And who is to blame for the suffering of Gazans under blockade? There was no blockade of Gaza from 2005 till Hamas was elected and launched a wave of terror attacks in 2007. As you pointed out, Israel takes no pleasure in blockading people; it is an utter necessity. So while empathy for the suffering of Gazans is appropriate, I think it’s extremely important to direct the blame squarely at Gazan leadership. As for the first question, let me share an anecdote from the past few days that illustrates how morally confused people are. I am a musician and have been going around and playing in hotels and shelters to families displaced from the area around the Gaza border. The comments that I receive from many of my Australian friends are “what an unfair privilege that displaced Israelis get to stay in hotels and have musical entertainment while fleeing Gazans are living in squalor.” People seem to find moral fault in Israel effectively defending itself and taking care of its citizens. So yes, it’s true that Israelis party while Gazans live in squalor, but this is because while the Israeli leadership has built for its people an open, wealthy society, the Palestinian leadership has focussed more on the destruction of Jews than of the betterment of its own people.
Hey Josh, love your work. Would love to hear you give some book recommendations!
Also hope to hear Stan Grant on the show in the near future!
(Also FYI ChatGPT gave the following recommendations when prompted with, "what books does Josh Szeps recommend?": Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement by David Brooks, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt, The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.)
I’ll second the Stan request, or just some thoughts (if possible at this stage). Although his personal views could be pretty strong sometimes, seems like a huge loss to have him missing from the national convo. Both for his international and local knowledge and experience.
Are we fucked, Josh? I'm not normally a doomer but Trump and the populists, and the endless culture wars bullshit, and the splintering of social media into camps that can't even agree on basic facts, all have me worrying that Western civilization is in inexorable decline, acrimony and conflict. What if Trump wins again? What if a lunatic like RFK Jr does? Is there any hope??!
Hey Josh! I love your podcast and I’m always impressed with how you hit heavy with many of your intellectually gifted guests. Thanks for repping Aus so well.
My question:
I’m a young father as well, how do you approach the gender ideology / other woke ideas being taught in our schools as truth? And what’s your approach in parenting regarding screen time?
Why do you persist in (at least one) this blindspot? Many have tried to steer you in the right direction.
When a single cell split/replicated/reproduced (whatever the correct term is) back in the day it became more complex than anything man has made and likely will make. A slug is self-sufficient, can live above and below ground, has an immune system, digestive system, incredible skin/mucus situation, and it can reproduce! A fighter jet does one, maybe three things? Often badly with massive external support. It is not in the same ball game as a cell.. forget about a slug.
AI does even less than a fighter jet, it's just that it does a great deal of it right infront of your face. Everything (including the old radio desk you mentioned in an older episode) that man has made can be broken down, understood, remade, expanded, upgraded, and destroyed. When comparing AI with 'intelligence', I like to equate comparing artificial grass with real grass, they are not and will never be the same - infact try to find one thing about the two that is the same? Actually, I don't think I can..
Computers run programs that humans make using zeros and ones and copper and plastic, chatgpt and space rockets use the same zeros and the same ones and the same copper. They don't do anything significantly more special (computer wise) than the other or than your watch! Don't believe the hype and the Elons and the googles. Jeeeez mate, do a basic computer course or something, even an engineering 101. I love your work, but your inability to progress on this kills me.
Josh I came across a strange term recently that sounded wrong, but when explained made sense. Toxic empathy. It referred to the current culture of affirming every self diagnosis or externalised theory provided it sits within ‘woke’ boundaries, even when obviously unhealthy. The common sense check or challenge is absent. If a person claims they are superior because of their skin colour we rightly say no, stop being an arsehole, you’re embarrassing us all. But claim an absurdity inside the permitted dogma and it’s endorsed in the interests of ‘inclusion’. That word also seems to have morphed into permitted exclusions. A personal example I can share is a kindergarten committee being asked to endorse that one of the educators stop using a gendered salutation. Old school teacher who prefers to be called ‘Mrs’ must stop. Luckily for the educator the rules in my state allow that preference and some on the committee supported the choice. How do we push back in these situations, respectfully and in a way that appeals to the principle of generosity?
Have you done any research on the Ford Foundation and other corporate donors who poured vast sums of monies into universities in the late 60's and early 70's to create "identity" departments? A lot gets rightfully pinned on postmodernism, but the actual creation of identity departments probably did more than anything else to undermine and disappear class solidarity (note "class" is the only unprotected identity today) as well as any type of organized, principled, mass movement on behalf of the majority of Americans. Thank you. P.S. I am a recovering Leftist who is politically homeless.
Hi Josh! I just found your podcast and I love it!! Just listened to your episode on the Barbie movie and I wanted to ask you a question. In America Ferarre’s speech that you read out she’s complaining about needing to walk an impossible line to be an acceptable woman. Then you went on to blame not doing feminism right as the cause for both Andrew Tate style misogyny and gender identity ideology! Seemed a bit ironic to me. I’m wondering if you can dig into how you came to this conclusion that there’s a causal relationship there. Calling Tate a backlash against feminism gone too far feels like a cop out to me and just another example of blaming women for men’s bad behaviour. Likewise I disagree that the current state of gender ideology in our culture can be attributed solely as the result of feminist attempts to fight against gender stereotypes. Interested to hear what you think in more detail. Anyway, keep up the good work!
So what happened to that podcast "Is Josh Racist?" released around 29 August where you had Mawunyo Gbogbo on? I just listened to it today (long story: my podcast queue is so huge I'm a month behind in listening to everything. I download them to my phone when they are originally posted), but when I clicked on it in my podcast app it wouldn't load any details (it would play, however). I checked your Substack and Google, and it's not anywhere.
Did it get deleted? If so, was there an outcry that made that necessary? Was the "convo" too... um... "uncomfortable"?
Thanks for the fast response. I've performed a few deep dives, really surprised I haven't found it anywhere. I'll definitely give you a shout here if I ever get hold of it!
You seem to be a culture junkie. I appreciate your curiosity about a wide array of peoples throughout the world. Have you done much exploration on the American south? I think it gets a bad reputation, some deserved some not, even though it is the heart of what many deem American culture. Some of America’s greatest gifts to the world have been born here, particularly music(blues, jazz, rock and roll). It is also much more diverse than people think, and full of eccentric and unique personalities. I would love to hear you speak to an expert on the south about it’s current situation and relation to culture wars as a whole.
Modern human beings have the capacity for rational thought, critical and analytical thinking. However, this is only a capacity that is realised under particular conditions. A developed capacity applied to civics, morality, philosophy (eg what is it to be a human), economics, could enhance quality of life experience for many. Do our educational systems currently develop this capacity or limit it?
What are you going to vote for in the referendum and why?
I was present at the day of reckoning that you hosted, at the time I recall there was a Q & A session, some one in the audience asked the guests what they thought about the now tradition of Acknowledgment of country? Instead of allowing any of the guests to even comment at all about it, you advised that you had this one, and gave your own opinion about it like it was the only one that mattered. I have a family with 3 children and quite frankly I am sick to death of hearing the same thing over and over again, at every concert, play, small gathering, anything. The constant guilt trip is nauseating. What about adding to the acknowledgment that no one is alive that had anything to do with the grievances. An acknowledgment of the truth perhaps. An acknowledgment that no one ought feel guilty at all. Perhaps we should just know that we shouldn’t feel guilty, but if that is the case then perhaps we shouldn’t have to keep being reminded of these things. I don’t know anyone who is ignorant of the truth of the claim that indigenous Australians were here first and for a very long time before Cook arrived that is after all what indigenous means. The thing is this, you can’t say it is a good thing because by all admissions things haven’t improved for the cohort of indigenous that we are all still concerned about. In my opinion it the voice gets through then all the current dogma related to the indigenous should be scrapped and it makes sense from the point of view that every one who is advocating for the “yes” vote claims that this is just the start of real change, including yourself. The thing is if I want to have religion shoved in my face I would go to church. I don’t respect peoples beliefs, I respect people unless they give me a reason not to. It gives me the shits because I agree with so much you have to say Josh but honestly I don’t think you give this topic the full “Szeps”
I realise your question is directed to Josh. My experience of living in remote parts of Australia as well as close to city centred aboriginal enclaves results in a confused perspective of how to assist. I have also worked within organisations that have tried to improve educational opportunities for indigenous Australians and found the main challenge has been the indigenous staff and students. Regardless of the non indigenous people’s intent, the in/out group fighting of indigenous people has been the main reason opportunities for education, training and employment has failed. Happy to provide objective evidence on this claim. I too wish for any human to prosper, but I simply don’t have the answers for such a complex problem as exists here in Australia.
I would really love to see or hear more from indigenous Australians who have actually faired well over the last century. Regardless of how they succeeded.
How do you prepare for your interviews? What do guests talk about before and after the tape is rolling? Do people have a strong "public persona" that falls away? I guess it might be different for different guests - are there any you were surprised by? That were just their natural self on and off "camera", or who had a really strong public persona that didn't carry over?
How do you stay sane in the context of the culture wars? Even when I try to (and instinctively) tread a moderate line, I am constantly feeling worn out by the push and pull from the extremes. It’s exhausting!
The human brain contains billions of cells of varying types and even more ever changing connections. It combines chemicals and electricity to operate. The human nervous system extends throughout the body, interacting with a multitude of inputs including other organisms. AI as is currently presented has nothing near the complexity and capability of a mouse, let alone a human.
My brother in law who lives in the middle class f nowhere told me recently that the day Petrol cars are no longer available to him he’ll probably revert to traveling by donkey and cart.
Obvious reason, he just hates electric cars. After all, it’s impossible to make enough lithium batteries to power all our transport needs without destroying rhe planet.
Clearly he’s watching the wrong YouTube channels and he’s been brainwashed by the alt right, or something.
I didn’t have the energy to try to reason with him , or to explain to him that one day we’re going to run out of fossil fuels and besides only 30% of the energy from fossil fuels is converted into forward motion, or that BYD has figured out how to make batteries that are cobolt free and can be recharged 5000 times / last for 95 years before they need recycling etc etc
Perhaps you have the energy to talk about the energy transition so as to educate people like him and to show him the light that electric surely isn’t all bad.
All the best with your new show - power to you for leaving the main steam and going out on your own
Josh the hate speech conversation was great. Any chance you could get Moira Deeming on the show? Moira is the VIC State MP expelled by the Libs for what on the surface looks like a weak pretext, but I could be wrong (attends TERF rally which is crashed by those two dozen Nazi goons that recently ran around banging drums in North Sydney). The rest seems like petty politics as Deeming and another woman were expelled from the Liberal Party. Deeming sued the Vic Lib Leader for reneging on a deal to just suspend her and then bring her back and here we are. TV worthy. And all the other states can laugh at us for more than our bad weather.
Hi Josh, a lot of us are a little disconcerted after the neo nazi demonstrations over the Australia Day Long weekend. These pathetic clowns are thankfully, in a very small minority of Australians, and their stupidity was quickly nipped in the bud by law enforcement, turning their sad efforts into a largely non event. But seeing the presence of this racist ideology in suburban Sydney, particularly so close to home is really disheartening. I know it is a bit of an ask, but do you know anyone who could bring on the show who would be a decent subject matter expert, on how to combat the growth of this type of hateful ideology in Australian society? Or perhaps even if you just wanna weigh in yourself? a levelheaded conversation on the subject, would be really welcome right about now. Thanks
Hi just listened to your Australia Day monologue. Whilst I agree with you that probably changing the date is the only way forward. Were the date to be changed tomorrow, would this really make any difference to people obsessed with identity and the apparent racism they point to as the superficial reason for any problems. I just assume those people would shame any celebrations we might have, based on all the other rhetoric let alone the date. Maybe I am being to pessimistic, and understanding that we are terrible at predicting the future, but very interested in what you think changing the date tomorrow or at some stage being a given (the “solution”we agree upon) might actually look like for maybe the first decade of the change?
G'day Josh, an interesting person that you might consider interviewing would be Cassie Jaye. She is a documentary film maker who made a doco titled "The Red Pill".
Hey Josh, I noticed that you said you have a problem with Zionism. I am curious whether you make the distinction between the two kinds of Zionism? On the one hand, there's the revisionist right wing view grounded in Jabotinsky's views or in divine right. On the other, there's the mainstream view that Ben Gurion had which was about creating and preserving security for the Jews theough a Jewish majority in a nation-state modelled on European states. The former I easily and, I think, rightly reject whereas, having spent the last two months trying to learn as much as I can about Oct 7th's context and Israel's history, I've come to endorse the latter position and see it as central to any morally serious analysis as well as to any just and durable solution to the Israel-Palestine problem.
I wonder if you’ve listened to the latest trigger nometry podcast with Tony Abbot and if you have any comments, as an Aussie, about what he said and his views?
Noting your recent career choice, it might be too early to have a crack, but what about the ABCs failure to report on acts of racism when a person of colour is at fault, or similarly, it's selective reporting on sexism.
i’ve been sent here by the fifth column to rip the duck tape off your mouth. paid good money to see those bad teeth your hiding. thanks for speaking truth to power.
Josh, did you remove your episode with Mawunyo Gbogbo from this last summer? I thought it was fascinating but it no longer appears on Spotify. Thanks for everything you do, I’m a huge fan of the show!
Lots of messages about concerns if Trump wins government, or if the Voice loses, or Western ideals of democracy fail. So, my uncomfortable question is, so all these things do occur. So wha if that’s not what the majority want? If Americans want a free existence and to remain the major player on world politics, then why don’t more than 50% of the country vote? Clearly,they don’t really care.
So, what’s the worst that can happen if the west destroy themselves?
I once asked a young father to be how he thought about gay people. He said he was really ok with same sex relations. From my experience with him he treated just like any other person. So when I asked him if it was ok to buy his son a barbie doll, he went nuts. I think it shocked him as much as it did me.
Personally, I don’t think you can change an individuals orientation, even through culture. But you can bring kids up to think about treating all humans with respect and civility.
You sought requests on Apple. I’d like to promote you Josh, but can you provide greater detail as to how to do this? I access you through substack, email and the ABC. So not sure how to support on Apple without explicit directions.
Is the demise of the so called Chinese Economic Dragon a good thing for our Western psychology? America continues to kick ass, and per capita Australia is obv tha best evr; but I do wonder about our social cohesion. Maybe the war for the next century is emotional, familial, mental, neurological, cultural...
When you have a guest on like Antony Lowenstein to have a healthy debate on such a divisive and misunderstood situation I would appreciate the episode so much more if you when you ask him a question you let him answer instead of interrupting and redirecting the coversation.
Thanks for having a crack at answering my question: maybe not as clear as it could have been. I’m very happy to line up with you in giving short shrift to anyone holding back from giving full blame to Putin. I just think anti-vaxxers and their apologists deserve the same: they’ve contributed to many deaths by fanning vaccine hesitancy and they deserve all the blame for that. In your Shermer podcast you seemed to be giving some cover to the anti-vaxxers in a way that deserved as little credit as Putin apologists deserve.
Josh Katy Barnett was one of the most interesting guests you’ve had on - I feel like you just scratched the surface of her story - any chance of more Katy Cobtebt please ?
I've gotten into the habit of writing long letters to a few friends and family. Often, each letter is a journal of multiple days, spread out over a few weeks. What habit have you rekindled that you use to do decades ago?
and
I don't eat much meat, but will buy the odd burger for my dogs/foster dogs. What actions do you compartmentalize (act contrary to your beliefs)?
Compare two topics: 1. Some argue that the West did things that antagonised Russia and thus contributed to the invasion (e.g. saying Ukraine would join NATO). This tends to be dismissed as Putin apologetics. 2. Others argue that the official and institutional responses to COVID (e.g. flip-flopping on masks) has contributed to vaccine-scepticism and distrust in institutions. Others say this is pandering to Cookers. Interestingly some will take different positions on these issues. Why? Is this hypocritical?
If you could visit only two European countries with your small children during winter, which ones would you choose? (Asking selfishly for our family trip in December).
What’s an issue that you have changed your mind on in the last 5 years ?
Hi Josh, I passed on the following thoughts to your current bosses this morning. My wife and I wish you all the very best for the future.
"The ABC Board and Management must never tune into their radio programming. Yesterday, a fine and admired presenter gave you all collectively, the finger! Your obsession with issues which affect and promote small sections of the community (LGBQI, Trans, Indigenous, Gaza etc.) are turning your audience away and you seemingly ignore the reasons why? Address the bias, provide balanced viewpoints and tailor your programming to address the concerns of the vast majority of your shrinking audience, not the vocal minorities".
Opinion on JFKJR poddy with Roges and on “The real Anthony Fauci”
Dear Josh,
I’m writing to you from my apartment in Tel Aviv. The last week has been hell for us. We’re up and down from bomb shelters all day, and we all have family and friends who have been slaughtered or kidnapped. My entire family has been evacuated from their Kibbutz, which is less than a kilometer from the Lebanese border.
I want to thank you for your thoughtful and empathetic podcast. One of the most difficult things of the past 10 days has been to live through this atrocity and then see the world’s condemnation swing sharply back at Israel. It’s isolating and demoralising. I agree with your central premise that empathy must be shown towards people on both sides of this conflict, and it goes without saying that civilians in Gaza have suffered enormously, and will suffer much more going forward because of this. But because it’s clear how deeply you think about this and how reasonably you are, I think it’s important to clarify and correct a few critical mistakes you made in your analysis.
First of all, the central issue here clearly is not statehood for the Palestinians of self-determination. Israel accepted the UN partition plan in 1947. It offered to give back the West Bank and Gaza to Jordan and Egypt in 1967. It happily gave back Sinai in exchange for peace with Egypt in 1978. It agreed to the Oslo roadmap for peace in 1993. It offered the Palestinians all of the West Bank (with land swaps), Gaza, and East Jerusalem in 2000 and again in 2007. It unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005, pulling settlers out of their homes. If statehood and self-determination were what motivated the Palestinians, there would have been peace long ago.
The juxtaposition of Gazans living under brutal blockade while Israelis dance across the border is also misleading. Two questions have to be asked: Should Israel be blamed for creating a society liberal and open and wealthy enough to allow for dance parties? And who is to blame for the suffering of Gazans under blockade? There was no blockade of Gaza from 2005 till Hamas was elected and launched a wave of terror attacks in 2007. As you pointed out, Israel takes no pleasure in blockading people; it is an utter necessity. So while empathy for the suffering of Gazans is appropriate, I think it’s extremely important to direct the blame squarely at Gazan leadership. As for the first question, let me share an anecdote from the past few days that illustrates how morally confused people are. I am a musician and have been going around and playing in hotels and shelters to families displaced from the area around the Gaza border. The comments that I receive from many of my Australian friends are “what an unfair privilege that displaced Israelis get to stay in hotels and have musical entertainment while fleeing Gazans are living in squalor.” People seem to find moral fault in Israel effectively defending itself and taking care of its citizens. So yes, it’s true that Israelis party while Gazans live in squalor, but this is because while the Israeli leadership has built for its people an open, wealthy society, the Palestinian leadership has focussed more on the destruction of Jews than of the betterment of its own people.
Thanks again for your podcast,
What is your latest opinion on Russel Brand?
Hey Josh, love your work. Would love to hear you give some book recommendations!
Also hope to hear Stan Grant on the show in the near future!
(Also FYI ChatGPT gave the following recommendations when prompted with, "what books does Josh Szeps recommend?": Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement by David Brooks, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt, The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.)
I’ll second the Stan request, or just some thoughts (if possible at this stage). Although his personal views could be pretty strong sometimes, seems like a huge loss to have him missing from the national convo. Both for his international and local knowledge and experience.
Are we fucked, Josh? I'm not normally a doomer but Trump and the populists, and the endless culture wars bullshit, and the splintering of social media into camps that can't even agree on basic facts, all have me worrying that Western civilization is in inexorable decline, acrimony and conflict. What if Trump wins again? What if a lunatic like RFK Jr does? Is there any hope??!
Hey Josh! I love your podcast and I’m always impressed with how you hit heavy with many of your intellectually gifted guests. Thanks for repping Aus so well.
My question:
I’m a young father as well, how do you approach the gender ideology / other woke ideas being taught in our schools as truth? And what’s your approach in parenting regarding screen time?
I’d love to hear what you think!
Sean
Why do you persist in (at least one) this blindspot? Many have tried to steer you in the right direction.
When a single cell split/replicated/reproduced (whatever the correct term is) back in the day it became more complex than anything man has made and likely will make. A slug is self-sufficient, can live above and below ground, has an immune system, digestive system, incredible skin/mucus situation, and it can reproduce! A fighter jet does one, maybe three things? Often badly with massive external support. It is not in the same ball game as a cell.. forget about a slug.
AI does even less than a fighter jet, it's just that it does a great deal of it right infront of your face. Everything (including the old radio desk you mentioned in an older episode) that man has made can be broken down, understood, remade, expanded, upgraded, and destroyed. When comparing AI with 'intelligence', I like to equate comparing artificial grass with real grass, they are not and will never be the same - infact try to find one thing about the two that is the same? Actually, I don't think I can..
Computers run programs that humans make using zeros and ones and copper and plastic, chatgpt and space rockets use the same zeros and the same ones and the same copper. They don't do anything significantly more special (computer wise) than the other or than your watch! Don't believe the hype and the Elons and the googles. Jeeeez mate, do a basic computer course or something, even an engineering 101. I love your work, but your inability to progress on this kills me.
Josh I came across a strange term recently that sounded wrong, but when explained made sense. Toxic empathy. It referred to the current culture of affirming every self diagnosis or externalised theory provided it sits within ‘woke’ boundaries, even when obviously unhealthy. The common sense check or challenge is absent. If a person claims they are superior because of their skin colour we rightly say no, stop being an arsehole, you’re embarrassing us all. But claim an absurdity inside the permitted dogma and it’s endorsed in the interests of ‘inclusion’. That word also seems to have morphed into permitted exclusions. A personal example I can share is a kindergarten committee being asked to endorse that one of the educators stop using a gendered salutation. Old school teacher who prefers to be called ‘Mrs’ must stop. Luckily for the educator the rules in my state allow that preference and some on the committee supported the choice. How do we push back in these situations, respectfully and in a way that appeals to the principle of generosity?
Hi Josh,
Have you done any research on the Ford Foundation and other corporate donors who poured vast sums of monies into universities in the late 60's and early 70's to create "identity" departments? A lot gets rightfully pinned on postmodernism, but the actual creation of identity departments probably did more than anything else to undermine and disappear class solidarity (note "class" is the only unprotected identity today) as well as any type of organized, principled, mass movement on behalf of the majority of Americans. Thank you. P.S. I am a recovering Leftist who is politically homeless.
Hi Josh! I just found your podcast and I love it!! Just listened to your episode on the Barbie movie and I wanted to ask you a question. In America Ferarre’s speech that you read out she’s complaining about needing to walk an impossible line to be an acceptable woman. Then you went on to blame not doing feminism right as the cause for both Andrew Tate style misogyny and gender identity ideology! Seemed a bit ironic to me. I’m wondering if you can dig into how you came to this conclusion that there’s a causal relationship there. Calling Tate a backlash against feminism gone too far feels like a cop out to me and just another example of blaming women for men’s bad behaviour. Likewise I disagree that the current state of gender ideology in our culture can be attributed solely as the result of feminist attempts to fight against gender stereotypes. Interested to hear what you think in more detail. Anyway, keep up the good work!
So what happened to that podcast "Is Josh Racist?" released around 29 August where you had Mawunyo Gbogbo on? I just listened to it today (long story: my podcast queue is so huge I'm a month behind in listening to everything. I download them to my phone when they are originally posted), but when I clicked on it in my podcast app it wouldn't load any details (it would play, however). I checked your Substack and Google, and it's not anywhere.
Did it get deleted? If so, was there an outcry that made that necessary? Was the "convo" too... um... "uncomfortable"?
Hi Matthew, by any chance do you still have a copy of this episode?
Unfortunately, no.
Thanks for the fast response. I've performed a few deep dives, really surprised I haven't found it anywhere. I'll definitely give you a shout here if I ever get hold of it!
You seem to be a culture junkie. I appreciate your curiosity about a wide array of peoples throughout the world. Have you done much exploration on the American south? I think it gets a bad reputation, some deserved some not, even though it is the heart of what many deem American culture. Some of America’s greatest gifts to the world have been born here, particularly music(blues, jazz, rock and roll). It is also much more diverse than people think, and full of eccentric and unique personalities. I would love to hear you speak to an expert on the south about it’s current situation and relation to culture wars as a whole.
What is your opinion on the possibility of the Tasmanian Tiger (thylacine) still being alive somewhere in the Tasmanian wilderness?
Modern human beings have the capacity for rational thought, critical and analytical thinking. However, this is only a capacity that is realised under particular conditions. A developed capacity applied to civics, morality, philosophy (eg what is it to be a human), economics, could enhance quality of life experience for many. Do our educational systems currently develop this capacity or limit it?
What are you going to vote for in the referendum and why?
I was present at the day of reckoning that you hosted, at the time I recall there was a Q & A session, some one in the audience asked the guests what they thought about the now tradition of Acknowledgment of country? Instead of allowing any of the guests to even comment at all about it, you advised that you had this one, and gave your own opinion about it like it was the only one that mattered. I have a family with 3 children and quite frankly I am sick to death of hearing the same thing over and over again, at every concert, play, small gathering, anything. The constant guilt trip is nauseating. What about adding to the acknowledgment that no one is alive that had anything to do with the grievances. An acknowledgment of the truth perhaps. An acknowledgment that no one ought feel guilty at all. Perhaps we should just know that we shouldn’t feel guilty, but if that is the case then perhaps we shouldn’t have to keep being reminded of these things. I don’t know anyone who is ignorant of the truth of the claim that indigenous Australians were here first and for a very long time before Cook arrived that is after all what indigenous means. The thing is this, you can’t say it is a good thing because by all admissions things haven’t improved for the cohort of indigenous that we are all still concerned about. In my opinion it the voice gets through then all the current dogma related to the indigenous should be scrapped and it makes sense from the point of view that every one who is advocating for the “yes” vote claims that this is just the start of real change, including yourself. The thing is if I want to have religion shoved in my face I would go to church. I don’t respect peoples beliefs, I respect people unless they give me a reason not to. It gives me the shits because I agree with so much you have to say Josh but honestly I don’t think you give this topic the full “Szeps”
Hi James,
I realise your question is directed to Josh. My experience of living in remote parts of Australia as well as close to city centred aboriginal enclaves results in a confused perspective of how to assist. I have also worked within organisations that have tried to improve educational opportunities for indigenous Australians and found the main challenge has been the indigenous staff and students. Regardless of the non indigenous people’s intent, the in/out group fighting of indigenous people has been the main reason opportunities for education, training and employment has failed. Happy to provide objective evidence on this claim. I too wish for any human to prosper, but I simply don’t have the answers for such a complex problem as exists here in Australia.
I would really love to see or hear more from indigenous Australians who have actually faired well over the last century. Regardless of how they succeeded.
Where is their voice?
Regards and respect
Craig
How do you prepare for your interviews? What do guests talk about before and after the tape is rolling? Do people have a strong "public persona" that falls away? I guess it might be different for different guests - are there any you were surprised by? That were just their natural self on and off "camera", or who had a really strong public persona that didn't carry over?
How do you stay sane in the context of the culture wars? Even when I try to (and instinctively) tread a moderate line, I am constantly feeling worn out by the push and pull from the extremes. It’s exhausting!
The human brain contains billions of cells of varying types and even more ever changing connections. It combines chemicals and electricity to operate. The human nervous system extends throughout the body, interacting with a multitude of inputs including other organisms. AI as is currently presented has nothing near the complexity and capability of a mouse, let alone a human.
Hey Josh.
My brother in law who lives in the middle class f nowhere told me recently that the day Petrol cars are no longer available to him he’ll probably revert to traveling by donkey and cart.
Obvious reason, he just hates electric cars. After all, it’s impossible to make enough lithium batteries to power all our transport needs without destroying rhe planet.
Clearly he’s watching the wrong YouTube channels and he’s been brainwashed by the alt right, or something.
I didn’t have the energy to try to reason with him , or to explain to him that one day we’re going to run out of fossil fuels and besides only 30% of the energy from fossil fuels is converted into forward motion, or that BYD has figured out how to make batteries that are cobolt free and can be recharged 5000 times / last for 95 years before they need recycling etc etc
Perhaps you have the energy to talk about the energy transition so as to educate people like him and to show him the light that electric surely isn’t all bad.
All the best with your new show - power to you for leaving the main steam and going out on your own
Favorite NYC place to eat?
Josh the hate speech conversation was great. Any chance you could get Moira Deeming on the show? Moira is the VIC State MP expelled by the Libs for what on the surface looks like a weak pretext, but I could be wrong (attends TERF rally which is crashed by those two dozen Nazi goons that recently ran around banging drums in North Sydney). The rest seems like petty politics as Deeming and another woman were expelled from the Liberal Party. Deeming sued the Vic Lib Leader for reneging on a deal to just suspend her and then bring her back and here we are. TV worthy. And all the other states can laugh at us for more than our bad weather.
Hi Josh, a lot of us are a little disconcerted after the neo nazi demonstrations over the Australia Day Long weekend. These pathetic clowns are thankfully, in a very small minority of Australians, and their stupidity was quickly nipped in the bud by law enforcement, turning their sad efforts into a largely non event. But seeing the presence of this racist ideology in suburban Sydney, particularly so close to home is really disheartening. I know it is a bit of an ask, but do you know anyone who could bring on the show who would be a decent subject matter expert, on how to combat the growth of this type of hateful ideology in Australian society? Or perhaps even if you just wanna weigh in yourself? a levelheaded conversation on the subject, would be really welcome right about now. Thanks
Hi just listened to your Australia Day monologue. Whilst I agree with you that probably changing the date is the only way forward. Were the date to be changed tomorrow, would this really make any difference to people obsessed with identity and the apparent racism they point to as the superficial reason for any problems. I just assume those people would shame any celebrations we might have, based on all the other rhetoric let alone the date. Maybe I am being to pessimistic, and understanding that we are terrible at predicting the future, but very interested in what you think changing the date tomorrow or at some stage being a given (the “solution”we agree upon) might actually look like for maybe the first decade of the change?
Cheers
G'day Josh, an interesting person that you might consider interviewing would be Cassie Jaye. She is a documentary film maker who made a doco titled "The Red Pill".
Your opinions and thoughts on the loss of a sense of wholeness in our society under the guise of social justice?
Hey Josh, I noticed that you said you have a problem with Zionism. I am curious whether you make the distinction between the two kinds of Zionism? On the one hand, there's the revisionist right wing view grounded in Jabotinsky's views or in divine right. On the other, there's the mainstream view that Ben Gurion had which was about creating and preserving security for the Jews theough a Jewish majority in a nation-state modelled on European states. The former I easily and, I think, rightly reject whereas, having spent the last two months trying to learn as much as I can about Oct 7th's context and Israel's history, I've come to endorse the latter position and see it as central to any morally serious analysis as well as to any just and durable solution to the Israel-Palestine problem.
I wonder if you’ve listened to the latest trigger nometry podcast with Tony Abbot and if you have any comments, as an Aussie, about what he said and his views?
Noting your recent career choice, it might be too early to have a crack, but what about the ABCs failure to report on acts of racism when a person of colour is at fault, or similarly, it's selective reporting on sexism.
How can I get my kitchen sponges to not have that gross smell?
Dishwasher
i’ve been sent here by the fifth column to rip the duck tape off your mouth. paid good money to see those bad teeth your hiding. thanks for speaking truth to power.
Josh, did you remove your episode with Mawunyo Gbogbo from this last summer? I thought it was fascinating but it no longer appears on Spotify. Thanks for everything you do, I’m a huge fan of the show!
Test
Hi Josh,
Lots of messages about concerns if Trump wins government, or if the Voice loses, or Western ideals of democracy fail. So, my uncomfortable question is, so all these things do occur. So wha if that’s not what the majority want? If Americans want a free existence and to remain the major player on world politics, then why don’t more than 50% of the country vote? Clearly,they don’t really care.
So, what’s the worst that can happen if the west destroy themselves?
Hi Sean,
I once asked a young father to be how he thought about gay people. He said he was really ok with same sex relations. From my experience with him he treated just like any other person. So when I asked him if it was ok to buy his son a barbie doll, he went nuts. I think it shocked him as much as it did me.
Personally, I don’t think you can change an individuals orientation, even through culture. But you can bring kids up to think about treating all humans with respect and civility.
Just my two cents worth.
Craig
You sought requests on Apple. I’d like to promote you Josh, but can you provide greater detail as to how to do this? I access you through substack, email and the ABC. So not sure how to support on Apple without explicit directions.
Cheers
Craig
Apple Podcasts! It’s an app.
If universities are fundamental to nation building, who is best to manage them to bring about the assumed benefits?
Is the demise of the so called Chinese Economic Dragon a good thing for our Western psychology? America continues to kick ass, and per capita Australia is obv tha best evr; but I do wonder about our social cohesion. Maybe the war for the next century is emotional, familial, mental, neurological, cultural...
Are you going to do a podcast on the proposed indigenous voice to the parliament and executive?
When you have a guest on like Antony Lowenstein to have a healthy debate on such a divisive and misunderstood situation I would appreciate the episode so much more if you when you ask him a question you let him answer instead of interrupting and redirecting the coversation.
Thanks for having a crack at answering my question: maybe not as clear as it could have been. I’m very happy to line up with you in giving short shrift to anyone holding back from giving full blame to Putin. I just think anti-vaxxers and their apologists deserve the same: they’ve contributed to many deaths by fanning vaccine hesitancy and they deserve all the blame for that. In your Shermer podcast you seemed to be giving some cover to the anti-vaxxers in a way that deserved as little credit as Putin apologists deserve.
What convinced you to have kids? What were you right about and what were you wrong about in your assumptions about how it would be?
Do you even Lift Bro? Like What’s your method to stay in shape? Do you track any fitness activities with any smart devices?
What’s the first hour of your day look like?
Josh Katy Barnett was one of the most interesting guests you’ve had on - I feel like you just scratched the surface of her story - any chance of more Katy Cobtebt please ?
Rogan and RFK jr thoughts please ?
I've gotten into the habit of writing long letters to a few friends and family. Often, each letter is a journal of multiple days, spread out over a few weeks. What habit have you rekindled that you use to do decades ago?
and
I don't eat much meat, but will buy the odd burger for my dogs/foster dogs. What actions do you compartmentalize (act contrary to your beliefs)?
Compare two topics: 1. Some argue that the West did things that antagonised Russia and thus contributed to the invasion (e.g. saying Ukraine would join NATO). This tends to be dismissed as Putin apologetics. 2. Others argue that the official and institutional responses to COVID (e.g. flip-flopping on masks) has contributed to vaccine-scepticism and distrust in institutions. Others say this is pandering to Cookers. Interestingly some will take different positions on these issues. Why? Is this hypocritical?
How do we govern the government?
If you could visit only two European countries with your small children during winter, which ones would you choose? (Asking selfishly for our family trip in December).