In Episode 47 we sit down with Chris Sidoti — veteran Australian human rights lawyer, former Australian Human Rights Commissioner, and current member of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel — for an important examination of accountability, international law, and Australia's moral crossroads.

Sidoti dissects the deeply divisive invitation to Israeli President Isaac Herzog — extended by Prime Minister Albanese via the Governor-General in the wake of the Bondi antisemitic attack — amid calls for its cancellation. He addresses Herzog's widely cited statements (declaring “an entire nation” responsible, “no innocent civilians in Gaza,” and fighting “human animals”) as meeting thresholds for incitement to genocide or collective punishment under international law; the moral and legal case for withdrawal; what an arrest or investigation might look like despite head-of-state immunity; Australia's record on international law and its selective reverence in the 21st century; the protective role of international norms in the absence of a domestic bill of rights; the dangers of cherry-picking enforcement; and the new Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Act 2026 — its offences for promoting racial hatred, hate-group bans, severe penalties (up to 7–15 years), visa powers, and chilling risks to free speech and criticism of Israel.

With tens of thousands killed in Gaza and the West Bank — including Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and countless professionals — Sidoti confronts the message sent by hosting Herzog, the implications of associated networks (Epstein links), and concrete steps ordinary Australians can take to demand sovereignty, accountability, and alignment with human rights.

Podcast Details:
Duration: ~52m | Release Date: Saturday, 7 February 2026 | Guest: Chris Sidoti – International Human Rights Lawyer, Former Australian Human Rights Commissioner, UN Commissioner

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Keywords: Chris Sidoti Herzog visit Australia 2026, Isaac Herzog incitement genocide, UN Commission Palestine Israel, Albanese Herzog invitation Bondi, Australia international law selective, Combatting Antisemitism Hate Extremism Act 2026, Gaza genocide allegations, Zomi Frankcom, free speech Australia, middle power sovereignty, human rights accountability
#HumanRights #InternationalLaw #HerzogVisit #Gaza #AustraliaForeignPolicy #FreeSpeech #GenocideAccountability #UNInquiry #ChrisSidoti #BondiAttack

In Episode 46 we sit down with Professor Warwick Powell – Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology, expert on global political economy, China’s rise, tariffs as geopolitical tools, and Australia’s place in a fracturing world order – for a clear-eyed, incisive examination of the accelerating rupture in the international system. Powell unpacks Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s dramatic pivot: his January 2026 Beijing visit forging a new strategic partnership with China on energy, agri-food, and trade, followed by a provocative Davos speech declaring the old liberal rules-based order dead and urging middle powers like Canada and Australia to stop pretending and act together against great-power coercion and autarky. Amid Trump’s invite to his “Board of Peace,” the US 2026 National Defense Strategy downplaying China as the explicit threat, and escalating tariff weaponisation, Powell explores the sincerity of Carney’s moves, the viability of a middle-power union, US domestic instability and spillover risks, the credibility crisis for Australia’s neocon establishment, AUKUS under pressure, and whether this is the moment for a bold Australian foreign policy reset toward genuine sovereignty.

Podcast Details:
Duration: ~1h 15m | Release Date: Saturday, 7 February 2026 | Guest: Professor Warwick Powell – Adjunct Professor, Queensland University of Technology

Support the Launch:
Subscribe for free on Substack at boganintel.com to get episodes and show notes, or go paid ($5/month).

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Keywords: Warwick Powell Carney, Mark Carney Davos 2026, middle powers rupture, Canada China partnership 2026, Trump Board of Peace Canada revoked, US National Defense Strategy 2026 China, Canadian military US invasion planning, Australia foreign policy reset, tariffs geopolitics, multipolar world, AUKUS viability, Global South China, NATO fragility, Australian neocons, sovereign outlook Australia, geopolitics 2026
#BoganIntelligentsia #MiddlePowers #MarkCarney #Davos2026 #MultipolarWorld #AustraliaForeignPolicy #ChinaPivot #Trump2026 #AUKUS #Geopolitics #Sovereignty

In Episode 45 we sit down with Dr Scott Burchill – Honorary Fellow in International Relations at Deakin University, former Senior Lecturer, and longtime analyst of global politics – for a deep, unflinching examination of the ongoing crisis in Iran amid the massive protests that erupted in late December 2025 and continue into 2026. Dr Burchills independent analysis gives a clear-eyed look at the protests' roots in economic collapse and repression, the regime's brutal response, potential US/Trump escalation, Israel's role in regional dynamics, the position of Australia and other middle powers, and the controversial rise of Reza Pahlavi as a figurehead for the opposition.

Podcast Details:
Duration: ~1h 16m | Release Date: Saturday, 24 January 2026 | Guest: Dr Scott Burchill – Honorary Fellow in International Relations, Deakin University

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Keywords: Scott Burchill Iran, Iran protests 2025-2026, Tehran regime crackdown, Trump Iran escalation, Israel Iran dynamics, Reza Pahlavi opposition, Pahlavi monarchy restoration, Australian foreign policy Iran, middle powers Iran crisis, economic protests Iran, IRGC repression, regional tensions Middle East, US intervention Iran

#BoganIntelligentsia #IranProtests #IranCrisis2026 #RezaPahlavi #TrumpIran #IsraelIran #MiddleEast #RegimeChange #Geopolitics #HistoryMatters