The forgotten coup - how America and Britain crushed the government of their 'ally', Australia
Across the political and media elite in Australia, a silence has
descended on the memory of the great, reforming prime minister Gough
Whitlam, who has died. His achievements are recognised, if grudgingly,
his mistakes noted in false sorrow. But a critical reason for his
extraordinary political demise will, they hope, be buried with him.
Australia briefly became an independent state during the Whitlam years,
1972-75. An American commentator wrote that no country had "reversed its
posture in international affairs so totally without going through a
domestic revolution". Whitlam ended his nation's colonial servility. He
abolished Royal patronage, moved Australia towards the Non-Aligned
Movement, supported "zones of peace" and opposed nuclear weapons
testing.
Whitlam was a
maverick social democrat of principle, pride and propriety. He believed
that a foreign power should not control his country's resources and
dictate its economic and foreign policies.
