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The Defection of George Burdi: Lessons to be Learned
by Doug Vandinan
In early 2001, a prominent adherent to the White nationalist cause lost his drive and surrendered his spirit to the status quo. George Burdi, aka Eric Hawthorne, had made a name for himself as the lead singer of the band Rahowa and as a founder of Resistance Records. For most of the '90s, Burdi was involved in the skinhead scene, performing at shows and selling mail-order albums through Resistance. Earlier this year, however, after his release from prison he shocked his peers by announcing that he had left the White power scene, moved in with an Asian-Indian girlfriend, and started a new band with black and Jewish members.
For genuine White nationalists, such a conversion is unthinkable, and we are left wondering, How could one who gave so much time and effort to the cause suddenly lose hope, abandon it, and join the other side? Did Burdi ever truly believe, at all? Or was he simply looking for an outlet for his creative energy? (The lyrics he penned while with Rahowa are justly acclaimed by many nationalists.)
Since his departure from the White pride movement, Burdi has given several interviews in which he describes his former activities, details his transformation, and provides reasons as to why he jumped ship. He explains that it was stress on his family life and frustration with the material progress of the cause that fueled his disillusionment, as well as the small monetary profit that Rahowa generated. It would seem that pure ideology wasn't adequate to keep Burdi's attention focused on the stakes of the struggle at hand.
In an interview with an enemy group, Burdi revealed that his parents' disapproval of his pro-white activities took a toll on his dedication:
IR: What did your family think of your new racial interest?
BURDI: My parents were passionate about saying it was wrong -- our relationship really suffered. They saw I was on a slippery slope to jail or maybe death. Once I got involved in Church of the Creator [the predecessor organization to WCOTC], I'd see them every few weeks, tell them how they didn't know anything and then leave -- I can't tell you what I did to my parents. My father had worked for 17 years at the same company and they fired him because of me. My parents finally moved out of Toronto because my father couldn't get a job with me as his son. Every time he would get close to getting a job somewhere, it would fall through. They wouldn't return his calls. My time in jail was just a little bit too much for them to swallow, and I don't know if they will ever fully recover from it. [Now] every month our relationship is better than the month before.
Clearly, Burdi realized that his relationship with his parents was in jeopardy, and he made the choice to abandon his future descendants' welfare for the sake of the here and now. Regarding his father's termination at work because of his son's views -- wouldn't that serve to motivate Burdi all the more to work for change, rather than cause him to fold and give in?
He also expresses his disgust with the individuals who comprise the so-called hate movement:
IR: What was your involvement in COTC?
BURDI: People have this impression that there is a large, well-organized, brooding underground. In reality all these P.O. boxes are just P.O. boxes. It's a glass tiger. There are a few people in each town who get together once in a while, drink some beers, use racial epithets and then go home feeling good about themselves. Maybe they subscribe to a couple of publications. There are a very small number of them, and it's not well organized. I thought, This is not viable as a political movement. I'm not accomplishing anything.
So apparently, while our cause may be just and noble, in Burdi's eyes, those that flock to it are either not worthy to take up its cross and fight for it, or simply do not possess the know-how or willpower to ensure its victory. Therefore, rather than go down fighting with weak allies, he decided to abandon the struggle altogether. Notice how Burdi neglects to mention the myriad of activists who write intelligent articles, do exhaustive reporting, author ground-breaking books, maintain quality websites, and distribute literature to potential recruits. Just a few examples of such fighters would be Don Black, David Duke, Jared Taylor, Ingrid Rimland, Sam Francis, and Joseph Sobran. Truly, the ADL and Morris Dees would love to spread Burdi's false description of the White-pride/White-survival movement in an effort to hinder further recruiting.
More disturbingly, Burdi also reveals that the lack of impressive financial gain was another important factor that provoked his betrayal:
IR: What were [skinhead] concerts like?
BURDI: They almost never made money. Gigs were very rare.
If a [White-power] band plays four or five times a year that's a lot. We probably played 15 to 20 gigs in eight years. Only two of us were with the band the whole time; everyone else came and went.
If money were the sole motivator within the bounds of White nationalism, there would not be any adherents left in 2001. Obviously, there are dozens of better ways to earn a living, and apparently Burdi's decision was not only personal, but financial as well. Real nationalists are not interested in turning a profit; rather, securing the existence of Whites is our one true aim.
Interspersed among Burdi's public comments since his conversion, there are statements that we true nationalists must heed if we are to win the cultural war that is gripping Western civilization.
First, we must not let pressure from lemming family members and friends sway us from our paths. Remember that if we fail, our descendants will pay the price! Do not abandon the future for the present.
Second, Burdi gives a description of racist skinheads that certainly is fitting for at least a few of them. He depicts them as beer-guzzling, unintelligent punks who instigate violence for fun rather than out of the necessity of self-defense:
BURDI: The [skinhead] concerts were crazy. Friends would beat each other up and then laugh about it afterwards, with their eyes swollen shut and their noses broken and picking their teeth up off the ground. A large percentage of Skinheads, especially in North America, are really hard-core alcoholics. It's too much to expect them to put fliers on cars, but they'll jump at the chance to buy beer. There's a real irony in the fact that Hitler would have exterminated most of these guys as social deviants.
We must realize that any so-called racist who fits such a description is more of a hindrance than a benefit to our cause. As the would-be saviors of the white race, we must endeavor to be the strongest and healthiest not only physically, but mentally and morally also. We must lead by example. Therefore, make an effort to live a clean and moral lifestyle!
Third, Burdi provides a sad reminder of the amazingly low level of White racial consciousness in the third of his three reasons for turning traitor:
BURDI: The three biggest things for my decision were the pain I gave my parents, the futility of my cause, and the judgment of the 12 jurors [in the assault case], who were all whites.
Here we have a scenario of twelve white jurors convicting a young White activist for the assault on an anti-racist. Burdi's crime? Burdi never actually committed battery, but he gave a speech to the crowd which prompted the beating. Had but one of the twelve had a true idea of the veritable nature and goals of White nationalism, Burdi may not have been sentenced to prison. Obviously, we must work harder to combat our enemies' propaganda that distorts us and our message! More Whites must realize the dark and bleak future that looms before us, before it's too late and our fate is sealed.
Ultimately, Burdi's defection can be viewed as an example of survival of the fittest in its purest form. Those who lack sufficient willpower, or who are too weak, inept, or hesitant, will be swept aside in favor of those who remain determined, defiant, and dedicated. White nationalists can take solace in the fact that Burdi's place has been filled by dozens of new, motivated fighters who will indeed go the distance in the struggle for our physical and cultural survival.
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Once our enemies persecuted us and in doing this helped us by removing the undesirable elements in the Party. Today, we ourselves expunge what is evil. What is evil has no place among us!
--Adolf Hitler, Nuremberg, 1934
DOUG VANDINAN
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