Harold Covington has the unique distinction of pissing off just about every other person in the entire movement, and this is relevant to his political ambitions. Where there is smoke, there’s generally fire, and if nothing else, Covington’s political skills are questionable if he’s managed to isolate himself this way. This movement has a surplus of infighting, petty feuds, and general nonsense, so this may not be his fault. Nontheless, this situation exists.
That said, let’s give the man some credit. Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world, and the Northwest Quartet is a noteworthy political and artistic achievement. Many white nationalists got their start reading “The Turner Diaries,” which is remarkable because as a book, it, well, sucks. (To be fair, it was a compilation of self contained articles for a magazine, which explains its dubious literary quality.) In contrast, the Quartet has memorable characters, witty dialogue, and a great story. The man can write. Somehow, in the middle of all this, he also gives what I regard as some as excellent political advice for our movement.
First and foremost, the Quartet is Covington’s attempt to show what a successful endgame for white nationalism would actually look like. Amidst all the sturm und drang within this series of tubes, few have outlined what the end game for all of this actually is. The Northwest American Republic shows what an ethnostate in the real world could be. The white republic he portrays is the kind of organizing myth that the movement needs.
Second, Covington is absolutely right when he states that the United States of America cannot be saved, and we must work on developing a secessionist movement if we are to secure a living space. In an age when mainstream politicians casually mention independence for states, when state legislatures are passing sovereignty resolutions all over the country, and when the decline of the dollar is becoming an ever present reality, this does not seem unrealistic.
Third, Covington’s political vision, within the books anyway, is fairly realistic. The political situation in his alternate universe is simply the present with every negative development accelerated. Even his more outlandish scenarios (such as a U.S. Government that kidnaps white children raised by politically incorrect parents) has a grain of truth and is based on things that are happening right now. He is also right about the role of religion in our movement, and the need for everyone to put their race first and leave the bickering about Christianity vs. Odinism vs. National Socialism or what have you until after liberation.
Finally, and most importantly, as Greg Johnson noted, you can’t read these books without becoming more serious about the struggle. We could use a “General Order Number 10″ (no alcohol) right now. If WN’s donated half — half! — of what they spend on beer and cigarettes to organizations like the New Century Foundation, The Occidental Quarterly, or other organizations, it would make a dramatic difference. Covington is absolutely right when he states that geographic concentration of our activists would allow us to get much more accomplished, and that we need to get off the internet and interacting with people in the real world. People discuss Pioneer Little Europe’s all the time — it’s time to start actually building them. This requires sacrifice and commitment but less than one might actually think. It does not mean taking a vow of poverty — it means actually seriously working with movement activists to build local institutions, and relocating if necessary to make it happen. For younger folks, this is far easier than for people with families.
What does the “Old Man” get wrong? As I see it, three things.
First, he never addresses Hunter’s objection anywhere in the book. The Northwest has no identity or tradition of white nationalism that Covington’s Party could conceivably appeal to. Covington talks of a legacy of heroes like Pastor Richard Butler or Bob Matthews, but I doubt anyone in Washington or Oregon has even heard of these people, and would probably hate them if they did.
This is the great debate, which I go back and forth myself on, and will return to in later posts. Should WN’s try to evolve within an existing subculture and make “implicit” whiteness explicit? Or should they try to create something totally new where nothing has existed before? I learn towards the former (i.e. let’s start in the South) but Covington doesn’t even address the question. How 30,000 WN’s showing up in the Northwest would somehow spark an awakening among a population not receptive to it is beyond me. Certainly, it would build a thriving subculture, but I don’t think Seattle would suddenly switch to voting for the Northwest Front instead of the Democrats.
Second, the references to himself and his criticisms of other leaders, notably in “The Hill of the Ravens,” takes away from the books. Attacking William Pierce or David Duke or whoever else is pointless and inappropriate. It doesn’t matter if he’s right or wrong. He should be the bigger man, lay out his vision, and challenge people to believe in it.
The third charge is related. Covington puts himself in the book in an obnoxious and clumsy way. He clearly sees himself as the leader of this movement in the real world. It is somewhat reminiscent of the movie Reds in which the skillful writer Jack Reed tries to transition from writing about Communist revolution to actually organizing Communist revolution, with disastrous results.
Even if, by some monumental injustice, everything said about Harold Covington is a horrible lie, it is simply an unfortunate fact that his credibility within the movement has suffered and this hurts his ability to organize such a movement in the real world. This may be a horrible fate for an honorable man or it may be merited. If Covington really believes in this vision, his books will do more to create such a movement than any personal attempt by him to lead it. If he dedicates himself to those, his reputation — and the chances that such a movement might actually take shape with new leadership — will only improve.
Besides, I want to read more and there is plenty of room for expansion. My personal preference would be for him to write an entire book about O.C. Oglevy and the Hayden Lake Flying Column, which waged the war with unrestrained brutality and actually had to be restrained by the Party. The effect of unrestrained hate and rage (even in a good cause) and its effect on people would be a great theme for him to work with.
Harold Covington’s work, whatever my disagreements with it, is worth taking seriously. Somewhere in Washington is a widely hated man who nonetheless has penned the closest thing to a modern mythology for white nationalism. I recognize his faults, but I salute this achievement and the man who did it. For those who cannot, I urge them to make their own attempt.
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Well, right now, Covington is the only man holding together the most serious plan for secession based on white interests. He has gone beyond representing this vision in literature, and is attempting to make the NW migration a reality. He has relocated to the Northwest himself. He has a well thought-out and written missive that is available for review to those who are considering our options. He is asking for assistance. Until serious white men come to help him, the Northwest Imperative is stuck with him – for good or for bad.
I don’t see Harold Covington as a psychopath. That’s ridiculous, and an ugly charge against a man who has done much for the White Nationalist movement. We have sorely needed in the Movement artists and literary types to defuse the charges of ignorance and vulgarity from the left. Covington meets and defeats these charges. Keep in mind that the lives of many of our finest writers were lives filled with turmoil: William Faulkner was a known liar and storyteller (imagine that!), Hemingway was narcissistic alcoholic and womanizer who eventually shot himself. Poe died broke, drunk, and alone. I’m not saying Covington’s “A Mighty Fortress” equates with Faulkner’s “Absalom, Absalom”. But take note. Maybe he’s not an organizational genius, maybe he has burned his bridges in a misguided attempt to move the conversation to his POV. It doesn’t matter. The Man is not the Cause.
I quit drinking a few months ago, as a commitment to use what weapons Semites are using against us. Sobriety is a actually an Islamic weapon. Sure they don’t all practice it consistently, but it’s there.
The Mormons too, they are kind of a White Islam. Now don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the wonders of alcohol, and sympathize with people who like to drink.
But not drinking forces you to feel your feelings. This is the beginning of jihad, of spiritual warfare. And when stress is put on you, you don’t drink it away; instead, you say, “me ne frego.”
But not drinking forces you to feel your feelings. This is the beginning of jihad, of spiritual warfare. And when stress is put on you, you don’t drink it away; instead, you say, “me ne frego.”
–
Well, you must now certainly appreciate why the Soviet-Jewish overlords practically drowned the native Slavs in Vodka, eh?
Escapist fiction. Anyway, I like the mid-west, and upper south, better weather.
To nash2z, that is my point. The Man is not the Cause. The Quartet is a great achievement. He should be respected for it and I hope there is more forthcoming.
It’s just Covington as a political leader… I just don’t see it happening.
I don’t have a problem with Covington. He is an interesting character. I just think there are too many problems with a Northwest Homeland.
Whether the personal criticisms against Covington have any merit, I have no idea. Unfortunately, as Gregory Hood says, where there’s smoke there’s fire. Probably, anyway.
But the guy can indeed write. His writing towers over The Turner Diaries, there really is no comparison. It’s not just that he’s a great storyteller, though he is that, he is genuinely insightful as well. Well worth reading whether you are an advocate of the Northwest strategy or not. As an aside, he’s also good on the radio. I’ve listened to some of his podcasts and have found them worthwhile.
I mentioned some of my disagreements with the Northwest strategy in the other thread, but the fact remains that much of Covington’s work would apply to white resistance anywhere. He’s mentioned that he might write a fifth book about the early building phase of the Northwest Republic. I really hope he does that. I’m sure it will be full of insights that are sorely needed, and would be applicable to any number of locales, Northwest or not.
We need a talented person to flesh out some of the details of what a future white ethnostate could look like. Nobody has really done that yet, to my knowledge. Covington, whatever his personal flaws may or may not be, clearly has the requisite talent. He can bring it to life on the written page. If you’re reading this, Harold, go for it! You’ll have an audience.
Greg,
This was a well-written piece and I appreciate the message: focusing on the idea and not the personalities. But, for the sake of good form, do not repeat rumors. The last thing we need is for a clueless White person to stumble onto this website and read that “a disturbed lonely man… has penned the closest thing to a modern mythology for white nationalism.”
Damn, you guys sure love the “psychopath” accusation. But remember, what you say about me is true about you, and he who smelt it dealt it, etc.
Perhaps Covington is the Richard Wagner of the White Nationalist Movement, and should be treated as such.
I think that Greg Hood overstates the anti-Covington case. Yes, I have heard all the same stuff about him. Yes, it gives me pause. But someday I would still like to shake the guy’s hand. I can’t imagine Greg Hood doing the same after writing this, though, and that is a shame, since he obviously understands and admires Covington’s writings.
The anti-Covingtonians came out in force when I published my review of the Quartet and again when I published my interview. My standard line was: “TOQ is a journal of ideas. Covington has serious ideas that need to be discussed. Long after he is dead, his writings and ideas will live on. The only thing that should matter to us is if there are still white people on the planet 200 years from now. I think that Covington has much to contribute to that cause. The personal vendettas have no place here.”
Covington’s podcast #6 is brilliant by the way. I look forward to listening to the earlier ones.
http://www.northwestfront.org/rfn/rfn030310.mp3
Denise: Richard Wagner is a good analogy. He was a creative genius but didn’t play well with others. I really hope that Covington writes more novels too.
Mr. Johnson – every-one has a part to play. It’s all about emphasizing the positive qualities, and mitogating the bad ones.
I haven’t read any of Covington’s stuff (I need a good, solid decade to just sit down, and read. Read read read). A person that postes here’in has been kind enough to send me a number of sources, on a particular subject, and I’ve been spending time wading through, and I might add, savoring it all.
I think I must find a way to squeeze Covington’s work in. Mr. Hood’s descriptions have piqued my interest. Covington’s ideas seem rather practical. Which is vital. I loved the “Turner Diaries”. The work isn’t finely drawn, and now I know why. But it was a ripping good yarn!
Resolving the racial naivete of Whites, in largely all White areas, with the direct survival skills, of Whites in engulfed areas, seems to be an issue that begs for consideration, and serious thought. . Knots to be un-tied.
Maybe you’ve been thinking that there has to be a better way. Maybe you, like us, want to be part of the answer to society’s problems. You can be!
http://www.northwestfront.org
http://downwithjugears.blogspot.com
Denise,
I agree about looking for ways to build a movement out of imperfect people. Since that is what we all are. Too many of us are looking for the poison pill, the fatal flaw, the excuse to give up on a cause or a person. It is a bad habit, and it is not conducive to building a functional movement. The Jews, as usual, are so much smarter. They’re all crazy and obnoxious to one degree or another. But they still manage to work together in highly effective groups.
One advantage they have is transparency. Their flaws are all out on the surface. When they get angry, it is all out on the surface. Whites spend all their time hiding their flaws and biting back their anger — until there is a disaster or an explosion and everything falls apart. We need to build a culture of transparency within our groups.
GJ, I’m listening to the Covington podcast you linked – the beginning is all about ADL espionage and FBI surveillance and the like. Sounds like a conspiracy theorist.
Greg,
Not only can Covington write but he can talk to. He jaw-jacks away like he was born in a podcast station. Other than his gratuitous swipe at an old enemy, the podcast was executed with style. And Harold, if you are reading this, take the high road man. Leave the personal vendettas on the casting room floor, and write another novel. I want one of your flags too.
Harold Covington’s delivery is every bit as good as Rush Limbaugh’s, and his content is of course much better.
See Something: There is a world of difference between advising people to take sensible precautions against known practices of the enemy and claiming to know things that you are in no position to know. The former increases our credibility and fitness for struggle. The latter decreases our credibility and fitness.
Another brilliant Covington podcast: http://www.northwestfront.org/rfn/rfn022410.mp3
‘The Mormons too, they are kind of a White Islam.’
I am neither Mormon nor Muslim, but I have been off alcohol for the past few months because I have been taking piracetam.
Piracetam increases the blood flow in the brain – it is good for removing hangovers but it increases the “kick” of alcohol if you mix the two drugs.
Anyone who wants to spend beer money on something else can try nootropics.
He sounded quite thoughtful and reasonable in his interview with Greg Johnson. As I remember it, he was realistic: “the current system will break down, some people born today MIGHT perhaps get to see it…” And I appreciate the scale of his goal — just three states. (Why not Alaska, too?) Not as many people like me and Paul Gottfried to hunt down and expel. Fewer people like Jeffrey Imm to overlook.
White nationalism needs more myths like these to sustain its supporters’ imaginations. I doubt white nationalists will have access to the money needed to make big movies anytime soon, but maybe animation or computer gaming are areas in which peoples’ CREATIVITY could be profitably directed. Why not a gaming version of the Turner Diaries? Or a jew free White ethnonationalist version of “Sim City”?
White ethnonationalist version of “Sim City”?
It could be created in Second Life, the online 3-d virtual community. That should ruffle a few feathers.
Basic argumentum ad populum fallacy from the beginning. If it were true that something is wrong merely because it’s unpopular, we would all be wrong for being white nationalists.
Covington’s 030310 broadcast sounds too highly edited, like he individually records every sentence and joins them together, as if he’s trying to talk very fast without taking a breath. It’s unnatural, annoying and monotone.
This post has been changed with the unwarranted comments excised. Apologies again to all readers.
Mark,
I am aware of the problems you mention with the editing. I am just learning to use WavePad and I’m by no means 100% on it. Thanks for the input.
-HAC
Harold,
I have heard you on interviews and you sound a lot better when you speak naturally. Keep up the good work.
I AM speaking more or less naturally. Like you pointed out, it’s the editing when I remove all the eeehs and uuuuhs and coughs and smacking lips that makes it sound so choppy. I need to improve my basic delivery and space the paragraphs. This RFN I’m actually going to be reading one of my long articles, and hopefully this will sound a lot better.
Pingback: Northwest Homeland | The Occidental Quarterly
The latest Radio Free Northwest, dated March 11th, is now on the Party website at http://www.northwestfront.org
Where does a man begin, with a response to this?
I guess the obvious place to begin would be by inviting you to the Pacific Northwest, please come up, you’ll learn a lot.
I spend a lot of time reading a lot of people talking about the PNW, it certainly seems to act as a holy grail for many, and always has done, but so few of those who talk about it really have the first clue of what’s up here, and who is up here, and most talk from a position of ignorance, from a far, and I’d include Covington in that, because the true beating heart of the North West is not in the liberal-Asian centers of Seattle, et al., but away from the main cities, where people like Covington are never to be found.
I’ve heard all the rumors about Covington, the same as everyone else, and when I’m asked about them my usual response is to avoid giving my personal judgement, because at the end of the day I’m talking about a person who, outside of book writing circles, is largely insignificant.
That’s right, I am from the Pacific Northwest, and I can firmly attest that Harold Covington, far from being a “leader” up here, is not even a part of any movement up here, and nor do I believe he ever will be, but I’ll get to that later.
Before I get back to why I suspect Covington will never be a part of any movement up here the first thing we need to do is establish who, and what is up here.
You state that “Covington talks of a legacy of heroes like Pastor Richard Butler or Bob Matthews, but I doubt anyone in Washington or Oregon has even heard of these people, and would probably hate them if they did.”, and yes, you are right, he talks about such people a lot, although such people had no time for him at all (Pastor Butler warned locals against Covington, and was no fan of his), but you’re wrong in your guess that no one in Washington or Oregon has even heard of these people.
Sure, go hang out in Seattle, or Portland, and those names may not be to familiar to most, but inland, it’s a different story, around these parts the names of Pastor Butler, Robert Mathews, Randy Weaver, and Gordon Kahl, amongst a host of others, remain remembered.
You have to understand the impact that these peoples stories, and others, had on this region, people of all political persuasions, were witness to a chapter in our history, of gross political persecution, and heavy handedness, that sent shock waves through the area.
Even many of the most liberal people in this area were appalled, and outraged, by what has occurred here, and the memories of that linger on.
Even from amongst those that once lined the streets of Coeur d’ Alene to jeer, and oppose Pastor Butler, you will find many who were shocked, and frightened, by the actions of our government, and so there are not many here, in eastern Washington, and North Idaho, who will forget the names of those who stood center stage in this chapter, in the history of our Nation.
You see, there is no ‘real’ Pacific Northwest, oh, it may exist in Covington’s fiction, but in reality there are two Pacific Northwests (there’s actually more), the one that Harold lives in, which is the liberal, multicultural one, where no one will ever embrace his vision, and then there is the true beating heart of the Pacific Northwest, the one that gives radicals wet dreams, and governments nightmares, and that’s one that Covington has not even tried to connect with.
This is why I say that he is not only not part of any movement, in the Pacific Northwest, but also why I suspect he never will be.
If Covington had ever wished to achieve something up here he would have come and spoken to the people, sought acceptance, and tried to create something, with those people, but instead he came up here, spoke to no one, rode on the backs of other peoples names, people who detested him, and talked about his Northwest homeland.
Well, it’s not his, nor is he a part of it, nor has anyone elected him to be a spokesman for it, and so you can imagine how that’s gone down with the real people up here, can’t you?
Think of it this way, imagine I walked into your house, and then started talking like I owned the place, I was in charge, I was the “leader”, how would you feel?
And this is Covington’s conundrum.
He can sit on the internet, open up a number of blogs, spam forums, make podcasts etc., and achieve nothing, but if he wants to get serious he needs to connect with people, and he’d have to do some major fence repairing, and eating of humble pie, if he ever wanted to do that, and I don’t even know, after the start he’s made, if he could even achieve that.
Harold Covington is the leader of a handful of people, mainly online, who has managed to alienate the majority of people offline, as you note, right across America, but with regards to his dreams of a Northwest homeland, more importantly he’s managed to alienate the very people he’d need, if he was ever serious about his plan.
Rumors are that he fled to Tacoma, to hide from Will Williams, but the funny thing is, if he set foot in public, in most of the Northwest, right now, he’d have a lot more to be afraid of, around here, than he would if he ran into Mr Williams, in a dark alley.
This is the real world, this is the story from the real Northwest, and not the pretty fiction you read in a novel.
If Covington is genuine, and wants to be seen as anything more than an internet freak show, that occasionally makes a story in a blog, here and there, then he needs to get rid of that silly flag of his, it’s not my flag, and it’s not the flag of the Pacific Northwest, he has to stop trying to ride on the shoulders of legends, and he has to humbly reach out to the people of this region, and recognize this is their land, not his.
Alternatively, and this is where I agree with you, he’d perhaps be better off concentrating on his writing, as his books will do more to create the sort of movement, that he dreams of, than any personal attempt by him to lead it, as he doesn’t lead it, and probably never will lead it.
Now, if you want to write a blog about the true Pacific Northwest, and the real “leaders” up here, those who are actually out and about, both those who are part of secessionist movements (real ones), or revolutionary movements, then I reckon that would make a really interesting blog, but that brings me back to the beginning again.
Perhaps you should visit?
Then you might find your PLE’s, your communities, your compounds, your secessionists, your radicals, your revolutionists, et al.?
It certainly couldn’t hurt, and you’d learn a lot more by visiting, than you’ll ever learn on the internet.
Harold Covington is the leader of a handful of people, mainly online, who has managed to alienate the majority of people offline, as you note, right across America, but with regards to his dreams of a Northwest homeland, more importantly he’s managed to alienate the very people he’d need, if he was ever serious about his plan.
Generally, insulting your target audience and calling them “chickenshit cowards” is not going to win them over. I don’t think most people are going to be swayed by an old curmudgeon scolding them.
How did I miss this Covington Fan Club thread?
Good commentary, Miss Julie Titone. Others in the NW share your sentiments here: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2010/08/401529.shtmlfor Tr
Here’s a new spot for Truthers to learn all about defendant Covington, writer of fiction:
http://noncounterproductive.blogspot.com/