All too often, whenever I end a conversation with a conservative friend, relative, clergy member, or you name it, they tell me to “watch out for those crazy liberals on campus.”
Perhaps they realize conservatives have been fighting a losing battle for the past few decades in these educational institutions and that the existing infrastructure opposes anyone who holds dissident views. That's true. But while a hostile university is a clear enemy to dissident students, a far more potent and dangerous actor is the lukewarm conservative.
You can find this student on virtually every college campus. They are the type likely leading a College Republicans, Turning Point USA, or Young America's Foundation chapter, sitting comfortably in their position as they collect titles for resumes. They tend to avoid saying anything genuinely offensive and never foster meaningful dialogue.
This lukewarm conservative will prohibit active and passionate right-wing students from leadership positions in conservative organizations. They care more about securing brownie points for working on a barely right-of-center senatorial campaign. To them, anyone sympathetic to the dissident right is a threat and must be shut down. Maintaining the status quo their College Republicans club has had since the 2012 election cycle is much more essential.
Can dissident students even win? A two-front battle against the university and the right-wing establishment seems daunting — but it is a winnable battle. It requires motivation, charisma, connections, and an eternal resolve for total and absolute victory. There is no single formula for dissidents to win positions on campus or to have a formidable coalition of students favorable to their ideas. However, there certainly are strategies.
One of the most crucial aspects to victory for dissident students is initiative — inaction is our greatest enemy. We don't have time to sit back and remain blackpilled about the state of society. If we want to have a shot at winning on the college campus, we need to create a community of reliable, like-minded individuals. This community must remain stable under the duress of constant berating from enemies of all types.
This presents a unique challenge. We tend to be cautious about sharing our views due to hostility from those who disagree. Yet if we want to be successful in bringing about change on campus, we need to be outgoing, looking for students with similar viewpoints (or at least sympathetic). Even if those running the conservative organizations on campus are antagonistic, we must attend their meetings. There is no better place to seek out those on the dissident right than in these organizations, where members are looking for friends who share their views. Once dissident students meet and form a smaller group, they will have a potent presence on campus.
Having friends with similar values creates a support structure not found on a standard political team of professionals who clock in and out of that sphere. In the likely scenario someone in the group is attacked or slandered, it is essential to have bonds of friendship. Equally important, having a close group of friends makes politics enjoyable. As students, we obviously want to have fun in our college environments. Working with people you enjoy spending time with will make an otherwise arduous process much smoother and foster productive work.
The next step is to organize and spread influence. We must maintain frequent attendance at meetings for conservative organizations, make our presence known, and ensure we vocalize our opinions. If a nearly-defunct conservative club exists on campus, we must attempt to take leadership and revitalize it with authentic messaging. When no one else will platform us, we must platform ourselves. Creativity and resourcefulness will ultimately win — do not sit idly and waste time until the next club election or the next speaker to come to campus. Organize events yourself, place pressure on the opposition, and show them who is in charge.
Winning on the college campus will take time and patience. Never think it will not be messy. There is already infrastructure to ask for assistance in finding contacts on campus — utilize it. Most importantly, never underestimate the impactfulness of being active, public, and tenacious. It is crucial to show that we are a prominent, ever-growing presence.
Forward!
The views expressed in this article solely represent the author's views and not necessarily College Dissident's.
