This is part 2 of my 2022 reading list – part 1 can be found here. It is here the focus of my reading (for the most part) was on Australian foreign policy and Indigenous politics as they were some of the units I took at university in first semester. Again, it is in the order that I finished reading them, so there are some odd jumps as I read multiple books at once.
Continue reading “My 2022 Reading List – Part 2”Tag: whitlam dismissal
Did Gough Whitlam Play Us or the US?
13/12/2020
It has been generally accepted that the Dismissal of Gough Whitlam in November 1975 was a “soft coup”. It was the culmination of various tensions between Whitlam and the United States, namely its intelligence communities (and, by extension, our own). One of the oft cited reasons was Whitlam’s purported opposition to the US’ bases within Australia, perhaps the most infamous of which is Pine Gap in Alice Springs. But did Australia’s arguably best Prime Minister actually oppose them as public perception believes?
Continue reading “Did Gough Whitlam Play Us or the US?”Pine Gap: A Reflection
01/01/2019
(The following first paragraph was added on 02/12/2019): Below I had, at the time, speculated that based on information regarding Pine Gap and the invasion of Timor-Leste, Gough Whitlam’s dismissal in 1975 was likely instigated by the US. With further reading since 1st January 2019, the theory I had strong beliefs in had in fact already been proven – how I didn’t stumble across that at the time, who knows, but the conclusions remain the same. For a quick run-down, YouTuber Friendlyjordies has also since created a video detailing the lead-up to the Dismissal. My tepid concession below that it was only ‘speculation’ can only be excused by a lack of knowledge at the time and my attention on other activities – there was undeniably a coup.
I recently read the book Pine Gap by David Rosenberg, who worked for the NSA and was stationed at Pine Gap, near Alice Springs in Central Australia, for 18 years. The mostly US-run and secretive base has been the centre of numerous conspiracy theories and protests, but David’s book (as he explains his intention to be) dispels a lot of the wild ideas, while confirming the more expected details.
Anarchist Rising 