Remembering November 11, 1975: Pine Gap, the CIA and the coup to remove Whitlam
www.greenleft.org.au
Gough Whitlam was a maverick social democrat who believed a foreign power should not be allowed to dictate Australia’s economic and foreign policies. There seems little doubt the US was involved in his sacking.
  • Soot [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
    38·
    11 days ago

    Boyboy have a very good video on Pine Gap where they talk about this exact issue at the start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHMa-Ba-2Mo

    When Gough said they wouldn’t join in the fun overseas wars, the CIA bugged cabinet meetings and did all sorts. After Gough threatened to close Pine Gap, the Australian Governor General at the time (a supposedly entirely ceremonial position) worked for the CIA (which we only now know due to leaked documents). The Governor General just straight up sacked the prime minister despite having a parliament majority. Just that easy.

    Even if you don’t believe the CIA involvement, at the absolute most innocent this was an incident where a very pro-Western unelected ceremonial guy, with completely private communications with US and UK governments, dismissed a democratically elected prime minister and installed a new one. It was a coup, by definition.

    • eldavi@lemmy.mlEnglish
      12·
      11 days ago

      it was so bizarre to watch the pine gap guards be so cordial to the youtubers and watch the youtubers joke about the police confiscating their materials at the end of the video.

      in another generation or 2, there will be isreali youtubers that correctly identify palenstine as stolen land like these youtubers and also leverage the same privilege that these youtubers used to make another video.