I have to point out, you’ve made a mistake of terminology here, one frequently pointed out at Language Log. You seem to have used “passive voice” to mean “construction that is vague as to agency”. It’s important to note weaseling, as you point out, but the use of passive voice isn’t a good heuristic for that. Consider your own example of “Unreliable elements were subjected to an alternative justice process”; little of the weaseliness comes from the use of the passive. It wouldn’t be much less weaselly if written as “When dealing with such unreliable elements, those responsible apply an alternative justice process.” Who’s responsible? I dunno.
Better yet, “When dealing with such unreliable elements, the authorities apply an alternative justice process.” By not directly mentioning the notion of responsibility, we just have an authority doing properly authority-ish things, and the weasleyness is obscured fully once more.
Excellent point—the trouble is not that the writer used a passive construction, but that they obscured WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THI...I mean, the actor. And the victim and the process, now that I think of it.
I have to point out, you’ve made a mistake of terminology here, one frequently pointed out at Language Log. You seem to have used “passive voice” to mean “construction that is vague as to agency”. It’s important to note weaseling, as you point out, but the use of passive voice isn’t a good heuristic for that. Consider your own example of “Unreliable elements were subjected to an alternative justice process”; little of the weaseliness comes from the use of the passive. It wouldn’t be much less weaselly if written as “When dealing with such unreliable elements, those responsible apply an alternative justice process.” Who’s responsible? I dunno.
Better yet, “When dealing with such unreliable elements, the authorities apply an alternative justice process.” By not directly mentioning the notion of responsibility, we just have an authority doing properly authority-ish things, and the weasleyness is obscured fully once more.
Yes, that is better.
Excellent point—the trouble is not that the writer used a passive construction, but that they obscured WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THI...I mean, the actor. And the victim and the process, now that I think of it.