Words aren’t just words. They’re weapons. They’re carefully sharpened and swung with intent.

In today’s political and media climate, the gravitational pull is always toward more government, more control, and more intrusion.

The so-called ‘centre-right’ Coalition Opposition? Don’t make me laugh. They’re about as useful as a whiteboard marker underwater. The media? Captured long ago.

The message is relentless: classical liberalism and political conservatism aren’t just unfashionable – they’re dangerous. Fringe. Nefarious. Cue the ominous soundtrack.

Pick up a newspaper, switch on the news, and the bias is unmistakable. When the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) or the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) are mentioned, they’re always tagged with the scarlet letter of ‘right-wing’ or ‘right-aligned’.

But the Grattan Institute? The Australia Institute? Are they branded as ‘left-wing’ or ‘progressive-aligned’? Of course not. They’re just ‘think tanks’. Neutral. Benevolent. Beyond reproach. Funny how that works.

And then there’s the capital gains tax ‘discount’. Just call it a discount and it sounds like plutocrats are popping champagne in a secret lounge while the proletariat fights over breadcrumbs.

Except it isn’t a discount at all. It’s a simplification to account for inflation – you know, that awkward little phenomenon where governments print money like drunken sailors and suddenly your dollar buys fewer groceries. It’s also a recognition that gains accumulate over years, not in a single taxable moment.

But do you ever hear that nuance explained? Even by allegedly conservative or financially literate outlets? Nope.

Because nuance doesn’t fit the narrative. And the narrative always points to higher taxes.