Every political ideology or grouping has its particular favourite slogans, sayings or buzzwords that help to instill a sense of belonging, or working together for some kind of greater end result. No matter what end of the ideological spectrum a group may be on, an outsider is almost certain to know, at the very least, a slogan or soundbite associated with it. Whether It's the call for "Peace, Land, Bread!" of the Bolsheviks, or Obama's "Yes, we can" (which some might argue misses the ending "...wreck the economy"), certain phrases become synonymous.

Where the WN scene is concerned, we've got the 14 Words, the 88 Precepts, and lofty ideas of the "community", "movement" and "cause" that we work with and for.

However, unlike the other two examples, any talk about 14 Words and 88 Precepts outside of the enclosed WN community is likely to be met with a blank look.

Why?

Because, if there's one thing that White Nationalism has gained an unwanted reputation and talent for, It's in ensuring that anyone who dares to promote a slightly less "overt" form of the ideology is either  chased away from the movement entirely, or relegated to a fringe with all the other promoters of "soft", "watered down" or "weak" WN. Anybody reading this can probably add more terms to that list, as well.

Go to almost any WN forum or website, and it is sadly inevitable that you'll come across groups of WN who expend more energy tearing each other to pieces than they ever do in genuine activism, or bogged down in arguments that go on ad infinitum as to why one person's particular take on WN ideology is infinitely more sensible and worthwhile than their opponent's. You may also see the other perennial favourite, in which a staunch Odinist argues with an equally firm C.I. believer over why their version of religion is the absolute truth, and to the surprise of no-one, fail to resolve their differences.

Meanwhile, an average White person looking for a politician who will speak out against the crime, discrimination and ethnic encroachment that he is experiencing on a daily basis will have thoughts such as "Who's David Duke?" "What the hell are the 14 words?" and "What is a White Nationalist?"

Actually, I may be too generous with the paragraph above. Chances are, that average White person won't be thinking those thoughts at all - because he won't even realise that a White Nationalist ideology even exists.

A WN reader who has made it this far will now be formulating a list of the "usual suspects" that we conveniently blame for this state of affairs - the mass media, anti-racist organisations, government interference, the law courts, and so on.

Admittedly, none of that list is blameless, but by focusing all of our bile on outside influences, it enables a White Nationalist to conveniently dodge the much more pressing problem - that the WN movement does a fantastic job of being its own worst enemy, and nowhere is this more prevalent than in arguments about reaching out to "the masses".

How many times have you seen posts on WN forums disparaging "the masses"? For some, they're a "lost cause", for others, they will "vote for anybody", or will at least have some kind of political bias that is hostile to WN. Some, meanwhile, will just roundly dismiss them as "stupid".

I would strongly urge a different viewpoint, because in all honesty, how many WNs can truly say they have ALWAYS believed in this ideology, or were raised within an overtly WN family? Given how small the entire WN community is, I would imagine that anyone who answers "yes" would be a minority within a minority.

So, what are we to make of the "lost causes" that too many people like to denigrate?

If somebody is a "lost cause", might it be because their schooling and exposure to media has conditioned them to think that only Blacks have history worth studying, that Asians virtually invented the modern world, and that the White man's only contribution has been exploitation and enslavement? If they somehow break free of this dogma, and insist that Whites have achieved greatness in all areas of life and society, they are punished until they start giving the "right answer" again. A lost cause is not necessarily lost forever.

If a White person "votes for anybody" or has "bias", could it not be because they feel forced to pick the "least worst" candidate, or that they live in an area with such a strong "tradition" (be that liberal, left-wing, etc.) that they are only ever offered the opportunity to vote for a narrow range of candidates? In cases like this, White Nationalism would be best served trying to "drip feed" nationalist-friendly policies into the political arena. Think of it like this: an overt WN candidate in a mainly liberal/left area would be laughed at, but a centrist candidate might have an outside chance. If the centrist candidate takes power, the mood may eventually shift towards a centre-right candidate, and so on. At the moment, the WN tactic seems to be to rally behind one of the most extreme candidates we can find, and then find it incredible that nobody voted for them.

As for those who feel the masses are "stupid", think about the portrayal of WNs in the mainstream media. We are all racist, evil Hitler-worshipping idiots who can't string a sentence together, and so to counter these accusations, what kind of image do we put across?

Chances are, it will be an NSM rally, fresh from raiding the "totalitarian" section of their local fancy dress shop...and we wonder why WN can't shake off certain associations?

These are, of course, the same WN posters who dream of a White Nationalist government in power, or failing that, being able to live in an overtly WN community without problems. But a change in government, or a change in the ethos of a community, needs sufficient numbers to make it happen, and if we want sufficient numbers...

We must draw them from...?

We must appeal to...?

And THAT is why the masses matter.