Go Phil!

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, April 4th, 2025 - 14 comments
Categories: Donald Trump, phil goff, uncategorized - Tags: , ,

Phil Goff was interviewed on Morning Report this morning about the comments that led to his sacking as High Commissioner in the UK. He took a clear and strong stance on standing up and telling the truth in the face of the lies and chaos coming from Trump and the US presidency.

Morning Report link to audio.

From RNZ’s website,

Goff, who was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence in the Fifth Labour Government, believed questioning Trump’s understanding of history and the his position on Ukraine would resonate with New Zealanders.

“I think New Zealand is most proud of what we do as a nation when we ask honest questions,” he said.

“We have the right to ask honest questions of our allies that we’ve stood beside and supported when we thought it was right.

“The question I asked was whether President Trump understood the lessons of history, and I know that President Trump is an admirer of Winston Churchill.

“I thought he might be familiar with Churchill’s strong opposition to the appeasement of Nazi Germany before the Second World War.

“What Churchill said to Neville Chamberlain, the prime minister that sold out Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia was: ‘you had the choice between dishonour and war, you chose dishonour and you will have war’.

“There’s a powerful message in that, the message is if you appease an aggressor you don’t satisfy them, you only encourage them.”

Goff said the question to the Finnish Foreign Affairs Minister wasn’t a spur of the moment thing, he’d given it quite some thought. It’s a relief now every time someone in a position of power stands up and speaks truth about the shitshow that is happening the in US. There’s no good outcome from bending down to Trump, and thankfully the international community is gaining momentum in resisting.

Goff’s full statement, as well as coverage, is at the Herald.

Here’s the original question,


(btw, the Chatham House rules didn’t apply to this event, it was a public, livestreamed event)

14 comments on “Go Phil! ”

  1. Ad 1
    4 April 2025 at 9:20 am

    The deepest shock I have is that our own Prime Minister Luxon is pretty much silent. Peters was simply full of self congratulation for resembling a supine dog.

    Albanese managed to clear his throat. Not a shadow of doubt that Clark and Ardern would have stood up.

    I loathe weak government and this guy is ensuring we have one of the weakest.

    Reply
    • thebiggestfish 1.1
      4 April 2025 at 1:44 pm

      Certainly miss Clark. She was tough as nails and would have spoken out. Luxon is just a wet blanket and doesnt seem to have an opinion on anything. Ardern would not have been much better, arguably worse and just another word salad. Nor would key for that matter given he recently seem to have sided with Trump. Crazy times we live in!

      Reply
      • Patricia Bremner 1.1.1
        5 April 2025 at 7:57 pm

        Jacinda Ardern would say he peddles misinformation, and does not respect the law or settled Trade Agreements.

        Reply
        • Dennis Frank 1.1.1.1
          6 April 2025 at 2:23 am

          She'd be right, but there's more to it. The old Chinese curse is `may you live in interesting times'. The question in the ambience is whether there's method in his madness, and if, as his White House emergency document outlines, his plan fits circumstance. Xi saw it as a bluff, so he called it, but it wasn't. It's strategy.

          The capitalists screwed the American middle class but the gfc didn't awaken their sheeple fast enough, and the guy with snow white hair that some commentators here still think is orange is trying to awaken them properly. So all the jobs the capitalists transferred to China are taking wing and flying home again, he tells them. I've seen evidence the capitalists are indeed following his instructions.

          Reply
  2. weka 2
    4 April 2025 at 9:24 am

    Coverage in the Herald

    Image

    Reply
  3. Dennis Frank 3
    4 April 2025 at 9:44 am

    There's no evidence Trump reads history so why expect him to know Churchill's lesson? Appeasing Vlad the Bad is a mistake, but T may be playing a longer game, so Goff hasn't really established a parallel. Yet his intervention is to his credit, and it makes our pseudo-leaders seem missing in action.

    I advise caution around jumping to quickly to a firm conclusion. T's dad used the Democrats because they cost him less in regard to whatever rules needed to be bent in the NYC construction industry; T hosted fund-raisers for the Clintons. As a Republican president he's using nationalism as a traditional lever in geopolitics, so he's adept at playing both sides against the middle. I doubt Phil has read up on Donald.

    Anyway the US govt has a page making the tariffs official as political doctrine: https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-declares-national-emergency-to-increase-our-competitive-edge-protect-our-sovereignty-and-strengthen-our-national-and-economic-security/

    THE GOLDEN RULE FOR OUR GOLDEN AGE: Today’s action simply asks other countries to treat us like we treat them. It’s the Golden Rule for Our Golden Age.

    So it's all about gold. This should reassure neolibs: T's not expecting them to transcend the 19th century, just switch from markets to gold. They're safe. No way will he require them to become part of the 21st century.

    Reply
  4. Visubversa 4
    4 April 2025 at 10:41 am

    I worked with Phil many years ago. He was a fine chap then and he still is.

    Reply
  5. Karolyn_IS 5
    4 April 2025 at 11:02 am

    I have not been a great fan of Goff in recent years. He always seemed a bit of a soft neoliberal to me.

    However, I was really pleased to read his latest comments earlier this morning. I just listened to the RNZ interview. Wow! He doesn't hold back on criticising a lot of Trump's actions and comments since becoming president, included the over-inflated tariffs Trump is opposing on NZ, and the ambitions Trump has to control of reenland, Gaza, canada, etc, one way or another.

    Well said that man! I hope Goff continues to publicly speak the truth on the awful things happening politically right now in NZ and internationally.

    Reply
    • weka 5.1
      4 April 2025 at 11:29 am

      amazing eh. The cynic in me says Goff understands the threat to neoliberalism from Trump, but I still think this is an important, principled stand for what is right and we desperately need those.

      Reply
  6. tsmithfield 6
    4 April 2025 at 11:23 am

    I actually applaud Goff for standing for his principles regardless of the consequences. He likely knew what would happen, and accepted that.

    By the same token, I don't think Peters had much option but to sack him given the potential repercussions for our trade etc, especially given Trump's narcissistic anger towards those who dare speak out.

    Reply
    • weka 6.1
      4 April 2025 at 11:28 am

      it's ok he was sacked, he's now free to speak up as he chooses.

      We're seeing the repercussions of not pushing back against Trump this week. Now we have a chance to do so, I'm grateful someone in Goff's position is stepping up. There's no winning by bending to Trump to try and avoid his lashing out. It's not something we can sit out, or at least it's a very big risk to try and sit it out until 2028 and the hope that there are free elections. So much damage can be done in the meantime, and there's no guarantee they will have a free election.

      Reply
  7. Dottie 7
    4 April 2025 at 12:28 pm

    THERE IS NO WINNING BY BENDING TO TRUMP

    I agree, thank you Phil Goff and Weka so much damage can be done.

    We can only hope that America will have a free election, and sort themselves out.

    Reply
  8. Patricia Bremner 8
    5 April 2025 at 7:54 pm

    Well done Phil. Honest straight up and such a breath of fresh air. Trump is a lying bully.

    Reply

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