Connor Estelle, American nationalist, came this year on Mehdi Hasan's debate program to share his thoughts, thoughts that some may call controversial, yet the reaction deemed otherwise. Widely known online as "Pinesap," Estelle proudly proclaimed, "I'm a fascist," with no hint of remorse. Far from shrinking back, the audience applauded. Such is the kind of reaction that troubles the mind: have historians abdicated in their duty to impart the lessons of the past, if in this world and day, the acknowledgment of fascism is received with anything but outrage? Today's opinion piece will look into where we,or they, went astray.

Twenty years back, a progressive society was the ideal: a constantly evolving yet step-by-step-forward vision of what humanity had the potential to be. Progress wasn't viewed as radical, it was viewed as correct. However, now, where xenophobia is hailed as the "patriotic" option to "save our world" from the "villainous commies," we catch ourselves cheering on cruelty as strength. We're at the point where racism, homophobia, violence, or anything similar is acceptable, as long as it's under the guise of "safeguarding our values" and dismantling the so-called "abnormal modern lifestyle." The world seems to be taking one step back, not one step forward. Oftentimes in the European Parliament, the idea of making abortion illegal or banning Pride is brought up by politicians, rights that were won after generations of fighting, courage, and loss.

And I know what most of you are going to say: “Oh, he’s a woke leftie trying to destroy our values and rip society apart.” Well, if being disgusted by a crowd giving ovations to fascists, advocating for basic human rights, and refusing to shame people for who they love makes me like that,then so be it. But forgive me for not believing these are truly “our values.” There was a time when decency meant something,when not letting people starve because of their ethnicity or gender, when believing in a fairer world for all, not just for the rich and powerful, was considered common sense. But what happened? How did we end up here?

My answer would be what I call "The Burden of Morality in Progressive Politics." This burden, as I see it, is what made the left weak enough to allow the far-right to appear and gain control over governments throughout the world.

Let's take the case of Bernie Sanders, perhaps the most blatant example of a 21st-century progressive politician. What did Bernie do wrong? He didn't take dirty corporate money, didn't sell his soul to power, didn't promise billionaires seats in the cabinet. Is that a weakness? Of course not. But if you are up against people who've promised to kill you, you can't afford to sit out playing their game. Clinton played along. Obama played along. Everybody plays along in Europe as well, and if they don't, we get Farage "reforming" the UK, Meloni's Italy, and Orbán's Hungary.

Imagine this: someone challenges you to a race for fifty dollars, but they’re allowed to cheat,to push you, trip you, and cut across the track. What do you do? Most people would demand the right to play by the same rules, but progressives would instead plead for fairness, hoping the opponent develops a conscience halfway through the race. That’s the problem. Politics today is not a fair race; it’s a battlefield. And when one side brings knives while the other insists on talking about moral philosophy, the outcome is inevitable.

But this moral burden isn’t new,it’s the curse of the left throughout history. The left has always been the loser of history, not because it was wrong, but because it was right too early. Progressives imagine the future before society is ready for it. The French revolutionaries were crushed before their ideals became universal. Early socialists were exiled, imprisoned, or executed before welfare states became standard. And even in modern times,take the 2008 financial crisis,left-wing economists had long warned that unregulated capitalism would collapse under its own greed. They were mocked, ignored, called naive. Then, the global economy fell apart, millions lost their homes, and governments rushed to bail out the very corporations progressives had warned about. The left was proven right,but by the time the world realized it, the damage was already done. That’s the tragedy of progressivism: being correct in theory, but powerless in practice.

This disconnect,between moral clarity and political power,is what defines today’s progressive downfall. The right uses emotion and simplicity. They speak to fear, pride, and belonging. The left speaks to reason, nuance, and complexity. One side shouts, “They’re taking your country!” The other side explains policy frameworks and social models. Guess which one people remember? In a world of thirty-second attention spans and algorithmic outrage, the truth doesn’t matter,what matters is what feels true.

And yet progressives act as if we still live during the enlightenment. They write think-pieces, organize panels, and write long manifestos as the far-right propagates patriotic slogans throughout TikTok and nationalist memes throughout the web. The right has mastered communication; the left, the art of overanalysis.

But the problem isn’t just communication,it’s unity. The right unites behind power. The left divides over purity. We cancel, criticize, and fracture over small ideological differences, while conservatives close ranks and march forward. We eat our own while they conquer institutions. Progressives must understand that compromise doesn’t mean betrayal,it means survival.

Then what do we do? The left doesn't need to abandon morality, but it needs to begin to weaponize it. Morality must never be a weakness, it must be our strength. We must speak with passion, not regret; with strength, not hesitation. The progressive side must be reminded that compassion can be one with conviction. Because if we continue to hold that kindness will suffice to triumph over manipulation, then we will continue to lose, even as history continues to prove us right.

Connor Estelle's ovation wasn't a response to the words of one man, it was a symptom of a greater illness. It revealed that no one fears fascism anymore; they yearn to be led, no matter where it will lead them. And that’s what progressives must fight: not just the far-right, but the hopelessness that feeds it.

We might have lost battles galore throughout history, but the war to win humanity's soul is yet to be over. Progressives must refrain from being ashamed of their ideals once again and be proud of them. Because, if we don't take the moral high ground with heart as well as strength, someone else will snatch it from us, and distort it beyond recognition.