Quote:
Originally Posted by Harmon
Or when one is trying to obscure the issue, hide the actor, and evade responsibility.
The passive voice is like a gun. It all depends on where you are pointing the damn thing...
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There are other ways to obscure the issue, such as completely ignoring three-fourths of my post in your reply. So the active voice isn't like a gun? If somebody wants to "obscure the issue, hide the actor, and evade responsibility," they can just as easily do it with the active voice. The active voice can be a very effective tool for lying and distortion because it conveys sincerity and straightforwardness, even if the speaker is blatantly lying. If your familiar with American politics, directly accusing your opponent of disloyalty or socialism or any other nasty thing is a very effective tool for populist appeal. It is those who don't speak in absolutes, or in self-assured and unflinching language, that are viewed as wishy-washy, weak, unamerican, and elitist. The active voice encourages absolutist thinking and black/white morality, as evidenced by the active-voice crusaders who relentlessly slander the passive voice even though the founders of their linguistic religion (William Strunk Jr. and George Orwell) were never so extreme.
Now I am not pro-passive voice or anti-active voice. I just think its disturbing how fanatical and dogmatic "Elements of Style" Doctrinaires are. Using the passive voice is not just a matter of style anymore; since Orwell wrote "Politics and the English Language" passive and active voice have been drenched with moral connotations. It is manly, and vigorous, and righteous, and candid to use to the active voice. It is unmanly, and weak, and treacherous, and pretentious to use the passive voice. A matter of style has become a linguistic crusade. The truth is that both excel in areas where the other falls short. The passive voice is often overused, but that doesn't make it any more or less inclined towards evil than the active voice.
On a final note: the most virulent strain in politics today is not the tendency for slick-tongued political-speak, but attraction towards uber-macho, straight-talking cowboys.