The Power of Precision in Language

One of the oldest tricks in politics and media is to twist someone’s words, assign them motives they never expressed, and then attack the caricature instead of addressing the argument. This tactic works best when our language is imprecise. If you care about truth, debate, and freedom of speech, then you must care about precision.

Consider the following examples:

• Criticizing the Israeli government ≠ attacking Jews

• Objecting to Gaza ≠ antisemitism

• Opposing billions for Ukraine ≠ pro-Russia

• Calling out NATO expansion ≠ anti-West

• Questioning COVID policies ≠ anti-science

• Criticizing immigration policy ≠ anti-immigrant

• Defending free speech ≠ anti-democracy

• Opposing mass surveillance ≠ supporting terrorism

• Criticizing government spending ≠ hating the poor

Each of these examples shows how sloppy language and deliberate misrepresentation can be used to shut down legitimate debate. If the conversation is framed in simplistic tribal terms, anyone who dares to question authority can be painted as an enemy of the group. This is how censorship takes root in societies that once valued open discourse.

Here is an example of how this is used efficiently and effectively via antisemitism. This problem is especially tangled when accusations of antisemitism are used to discredit critics. Antisemitism is racism, and racism is rightly condemned. But when disagreement with Israeli government policy is equated with antisemitism, language has been twisted into a blunt weapon of censorship. If you are not a racist, are you therefore obliged to support everything the Israeli government does? Of course not. That is the false trap imprecision creates.

The Royal Canadian Regiment has a motto: Never Pass a Fault. The meaning is clear: strive for excellence, confront what is wrong, and build strength through integrity. Applied to society, it means that when you see imprecise or manipulative language being used to erode public debate, it is your duty to call it out. Not rudely, not recklessly, but firmly and with precision.

Why Precision Matters
Precision in language is more than a stylistic preference. It is the foundation of clear thought. When words are sloppy, thought becomes sloppy. And when thought is sloppy, manipulation becomes easy. Governments, media, and powerful institutions understand this better than anyone. If they can redefine terms or blur distinctions, they can control the narrative without ever having to win the argument.

Think of terms like “disinformation” or “hate speech.” Both are used so loosely that they can mean almost anything. Once such terms gain traction, they are deployed to shut down discussion rather than invite it. A critic of government policy is no longer simply a critic; he is branded as spreading “disinformation.” A citizen who holds a traditional moral view is not simply expressing his beliefs; he is accused of promoting “hate speech.” When definitions float, accusations stick, and reasoned debate disappears.

Precision also builds trust. In families, workplaces, and communities, people instinctively respect those who speak carefully and mean what they say. Precision signals discipline and thoughtfulness. Vagueness signals carelessness or manipulation. In an age of spin and half-truths, the person who speaks plainly and precisely has a moral advantage that cannot be faked.

The Role of Public Scrutiny
If you have the courage to question government policy publicly, you are exercising both intelligence and citizenship. Free societies depend on citizens who are willing to examine, criticize, and challenge the actions of their leaders. It is vital to understand that governments resist scrutiny, because silence and inattention give space for their worst behavior to spread.

History makes this lesson plain. During the Cold War, dissenters in the Soviet Union were not jailed because they picked up weapons but because they picked up words. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s writing was considered more dangerous than an army division because words could unravel the lies that held the system together. In more recent times, think of how words like “anti-science” were deployed during COVID debates. Citizens who asked reasonable questions about lockdowns, mandates, or vaccine policies were dismissed not for the strength of their arguments but by being labeled as enemies of science itself.

Every authoritarian regime has one thing in common: they fear words. They fear dissent. They fear exposure. And so, they imprison, silence, or destroy those who dare to ask questions in public.

Freedom of Speech: The Cornerstone
Freedom of speech is not an accessory of democracy. It is the cornerstone. Without it, elections are hollow, debate is theater, and accountability disappears. That is why tyrants target those with the courage to speak. They know words carry power: the power to constrain, the power to reveal, and the power to mobilize.

The misuse of language is often the first step toward weakening freedom of speech. Once dissenting voices can be dismissed with a label, censorship seems justified. “Dangerous speech,” “disinformation,” and “extremism” all sound like threats. But too often, they are simply convenient excuses to silence critics. When language is stretched beyond precision, freedom is stretched to the breaking point.

Practical Vigilance in Language
So what can be done? First, discipline yourself to speak and write with care. Avoid sweeping generalizations. Say exactly what you mean, even if it takes longer. Precision is a safeguard against misrepresentation.

Second, resist the temptation to adopt the loaded terms of your opponents. If you accept their definitions, you fight on their ground. Instead, insist on clarity. Ask: What exactly do you mean by that word? How are you defining it? Force the conversation back to solid ground.

Third, when you see others being misrepresented, step in. Never Pass a Fault applies here too. If a friend or colleague is being accused unfairly because their words were twisted, defend the truth of what they actually said. Precision in language is not just a personal discipline; it is a civic duty.

The Call for Precision
If you are going to speak, do it with precision. Do not let your words be twisted into something you never meant. Do not allow tribal loyalties to replace careful thinking. And above all, do not weaponize accusations to silence those who dare to question authority.

A citizen who speaks precisely is a safeguard against bad government. And that is exactly the kind of citizen every democracy needs.

Precision in language matters. It sharpens thought, protects truth, and guards freedom.

If you have the courage to question authority, you are not an enemy. You are the citizen every democracy depends on.

Freedom of speech is the cornerstone. Tyrants fear it most.