Specifically, they want more prominence given to long-standing PM Sir Robert Menzies.
I can't agree more.
Menzies has made invaluable contributions to our understanding of the mindset of the privileged born-to-rulers who have done so little for our country and our people.
Menzies was Prime Minister (prime monster, more likely) at the time of the dispute at Pt. Kembla over the loading of pig-iron for the Japanese. Led by Communists, the wharfies engaged in a nine-week strike to prevent Australian pig-iron being turned into bombs and bullets to assist the Japanese invasion of China.
To the great benefit of Australian school-children, this is to be the subject of a film the contents of which are explored in this article from the Illawarra Mercury:
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1881006/watch-port-kembla-wharfs-wonder-woman/
The "wonder woman" in the article's title refers to Ma Croft who yelled the term "Pig Iron Bob" at Menzies during a demonstration against him, a term that was to haunt him for the rest of his political life. A trailer for the documentary is embedded in the article.
On a return trip from Nazi Germany in 1938, Menzies had told Parliament "I have a great admiration for the Nazi organisation of Germany. There is a case for Germany against Czechoslovakia. We must not destroy Hitlerism or talk about shooting Hitler". Part of Menzies' admiration for Hitler was the "resolve" he showed in crushing the rights of German workers and their unions.
The Japanese did not forget a true friend as they advanced towards Australia during World War 2. A radio station in Japanese occupied Batavia, capital of the Dutch East Indies (later Indonesia) referred to Menzies as a "clear blue-eyed soul".
The end of Nazism did not mean the end of ruling class attempts in capitalist countries to crush the working class, its party and its unions.
In 1950, Menzies proposed the Communist Party Dissolution Act. A huge campaign in defence of democratic liberties was followed by the defeat of a referendum proposing implementation of the banning of the Communist Party.
Menzies loved the idea of Australians benefitting from the latest developments in science and technology and collaborated as a traitor to his people and his country with the British imperialists to arrange for the detonating of atomic weapons on Aboriginal lands around Maralinga during the period 1945-1963. Aboriginal victims of these tests, and veterans amongst the civilian and armed forces deployed to set up and monitor the tests, are denied the right to compensation for the illnesses to this day.
Every school-child should be warned of leery old men ogling young women and uttering oleaginous inanities. The sycophancy of Menzies towards the English monarchy took the revolting form of the 72-year old prime monster waxing poetic on the occasion of the English Queen's 1963 visit to the colonies. "I did but see her passing by, yet I shall love her till I die", he said, quoting someone else. A borrowed turn of phrase for a borrowed monarchy.
Having committed Australian military "advisers" to assist the US imperialists replace France as colonial master of Indo-China, Menzies announced on April 29, 1965 that Australian troops would be sent to suppress the Vietnamese struggle for independence.
His hands are stained with the blood of Australian service personnel - conscript and regular - who were killed and wounded by Vietnamese patriots on Vietnamese soil in the cause of freedom and independence.
His lick-spittle grovelling to the imperial masters of his youth was matched only by his lick-spittle obeisance to US imperialism.
However, only the former had the decency to reward him in the style to which he aspired.
An empty ceremonial title, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, was bestowed upon the Crown servant by HM Queen Elizabeth in 1966. Luxuriating in mediaeval bling, Ming the Great never looked such a fool as he did performing his role as guardian of a couple of Kentish harbours.
So yes, let us have Ming the Disastrous front and centre in the Australian History Curriculum. There is so much negative example from which to learn.
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