How We Win

While the Left Advances, Conservatives Stand Still

Immigration has consistently increased, sexual norms have increasingly liberalised and leftist racial grievance politics have increasingly become common place – in other words conservativism has consistently been losing for many decades. The left has won battle after battle, instead of ceding territory, they have gained it on issues, advancing their agenda with relentless aggression. They pursue their values unapologetically, rarely hesitating to offend their opponents or push boundaries. Meanwhile, conservatives often find themselves on the defensive, making compromises and seeking common ground, all in a futile attempt to remain in the good graces of the left. But the truth is, they don’t care about offending us, they hate us. And while they continue to push for more, conservatives seem content to settle, perpetually fighting with one arm tied behind their back. This is why we are losing.

The left's approach is simple: when they achieve something, it’s never enough. They push for more, and they get it. Their influence expands as they continually push the boundaries of what is acceptable. In contrast, conservatives continue ceding ground, rarely seeking to reclaim lost ground, let alone claim new ground. This mindset of complacency is what has eroded conservative values over time, allowing the left to dominate key cultural battlegrounds.

We see this in issue after issue. Take immigration, for example. Conservatives once stood firmly against mass immigration, recognising its potential to destabilise cultural cohesion and economic security. But over time, we've conceded so much ground that many conservatives now accept it as inevitable, if not necessary. We’ve given up the fight to the point where merely suggesting limits on immigration is seen as extreme, even within our own ranks.

The same trend can be seen in the debate over transgenderism. Conservatives once argued that transgenderism was not just unhealthy but fundamentally and morally wrong. Now, the mainstream conservative stance has softened to “just don’t trans my kids.” But this is a losing argument because it accepts the left’s premise that transgenderism is valid for adults while only questioning its appropriateness for children.

If you concede that it’s morally permissible for adults, then you have no consistent or congruent argument against transgenderism. By accepting the idea that it's someone’s right as an adult, you're already surrendering to the left's moral framework. If conservatives argue that transgenderism is wrong only because of its health risks, they inadvertently imply that if medical interventions improve, they will concede to the validity of transgenderism. To make the anti-trans argument logically consistent, coherent, and potent, it must be opposed on moral and naturalistic grounds, recognising transgenderism as a fundamentally flawed concept rooted in mental illness, rather legitimate identity.

It is a deeply immoral and barbaric act to permit individuals to mutilate their bodies in such a way, grossly subverting healthy sexual norms. This perversion of natural order is not only an affront to moral decency but a degradation of human dignity. It is a morally reprehensible practice that should be unequivocally condemned, not tolerated or excused.

Many conservatives, on a deeper level, know that transgenderism is morally wrong but don’t feel comfortable making that argument. Instead, they rely on weaker points about health or issues of adolescent consent, all while the left gains more ground. If it’s morally and scientifically wrong for children, why isn’t it wrong for adults? By making these concessions, conservatives undermine their position and only delay inevitable defeat. We must reject transgenderism wholesale, hardening our stance rather than making incremental concessions that lead to failure.

Moreover, the debate over racial grievance politics recently centred around the proposed and, thankfully, rejected ‘Indigenous Voice to Parliament.’ Yet, even though the No vote won by a stunning and very telling majority, the right essentially sat back, patted itself on the back, and didn't use this victory as a springboard to reclaim more ground or expand influence. Instead of recognising the overwhelming rejection of the Voice as a cultural moment ripe for further gains, conservatives seemed content with the outcome and quickly moved on. This is a pattern we’ve seen time and time again; conservatives win a battle but fail to use the momentum to drive real, lasting change.

We must learn from our victories and use them to push forward. The No vote on the Voice should have been an opportunity to refocus the national conversation on unity, meritocracy, and equality under the law. But instead of seizing this opportunity, many on the right simply congratulated themselves and did nothing after the fact.

A clear example of how we could have pushed forward would have been to channel that momentum into ending divisive practices like the “Welcome to Country” ceremonies, which do nothing but perpetuate a narrative of anti-Australian sentiment.

Furthermore, when conservative speakers come to campus, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll hear the familiar chant from the Socialist Alternative and other leftist groups: “Sexist, racist, antiqueer, liberals we don’t want you here!” These aggressive, well-organised protests happen whenever anyone with views even slightly to the right of Karl Marx dares to engage in discussion. These groups show up in full force, yelling and screaming to shut down dialogue, disrupt events, and silence any conservative voices. Their aggression knows no bounds when it comes to drowning out dissent.

On the other hand, when extreme left-wing speakers come to campus, what do conservatives do? Almost nothing. We might share a few laughs about the absurdity of their views, angrily rant in group chats, or write the occasional op-ed, but we rarely take any further action. No protests. No organised response. No meaningful pushback. We’re content with private conversations and passive discontent while the left organises, mobilises, and aggressively defends their turf.

As aforementioned, one of the most glaring differences between the left and the right is in the way we organise and push for social change. The left has mastered the art of large-scale organisation, mobilising movements that disrupt the status quo and reshape social norms. In protests to cultural campaigns, they unapologetically push their values into the mainstream. Meanwhile, the right often sits back, watching with bemusement or frustration, laughing at the left's excesses instead of countering them with equal or greater force. While we mock their absurdity and feel all smug, they a real political influence and push the boundaries of political discourse.

The quintessential example of this happened during the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in 2020. The left quickly organised nationwide protests, framing Floyd's death as the greatest injustice in recent memory. The “defund the police” movement emerged from this, fundamentally reframing the conversation on law enforcement and race relations. Floyd, however, was not even close to the hero they made him out to be, among his greatest hits was holding a knife to a pregnant woman’s belly during a robbery. Yet, the left’s narrative dominated, and conservatives largely sat back and ridiculed the hysteria from the sidelines.

Yes, there was some pushback. Conservatives are quick to bash this kind of behaviour from the left, criticising how they exploit events like this to push their agenda on racial justice and police reform, even when the narrative is demonstrably false. The left with their “defund the police” movement which use to be a radical fringe idea, rapidly entered mainstream discourse. But while leftists seize opportunities and turn them into massive movements, conservatives often hesitate, bound by a false sense of honour that makes them feel that stooping to such tactics is beneath them. This reluctance leaves conservatives looking like “idealistic duds”, too noble to engage in the messy realities of political warfare.

Sadly, the deeper issue is that conservatism has been gradually infiltrated by elements of left-wing ideology. Instead of standing firmly against the progressive agenda, many conservatives have adopted the mindset of merely slowing down its advance. This approach focuses on moderating the pace of change rather than outright opposing the ideological shifts themselves. As a result, conservatives have become more like speed bumps to left-wing ideas, managing and accommodating them rather than confronting and rejecting them. This compromise is why we consistently lose ground, by accepting the premise of leftist ideas, even in moderation, conservatism fails to offer a real alternative and becomes complicit in the gradual erosion of traditional values.

Again, it’s not just about policy, it’s about culture. Conservatives have become reactionary, more focused on “owning the left” than advancing their own vision for society. We point out the left's hypocrisy, feel smug about it, and call it a victory. But these small, rhetorical wins don’t translate into real-world political or cultural victories. We’re stuck in a cycle of reaction rather than vision. To a large degree, this might be a caveat of our ideology, we’re trying to conserve a vision of the world that doesn’t require radical change. But this focus on pointing out the flaws of the left without offering a compelling alternative is completely unserious and destined for failure.

If conservatives want to win, we need to adopt the left's mindset. We must become unapologetic, unafraid, and always strive for more. Power doesn’t remain static, it either expands or contracts. If we don’t take up more space, the opposition will. Conservatives must stop playing defence and start pushing boundaries, reclaiming lost ground and refusing to settle for symbolic and rhetorical victories. We cannot afford to limit ourselves any longer. The left's strategy of aggressive advocacy has worked for them for decades. It’s time we adopted it for ourselves. Conservatives must reject the idea that we need to appease or seek approval from those who fundamentally oppose our values and actually quite frankly hate us. We need to embrace a brave vision for the future, one that refuses to compromise and constantly pushes forward.

The future belongs to those who fight for it. The left has known this for decades, and it’s time conservatives learned it too.

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