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PITH

Never use the passive where you can use the active.
George Orwell

October 2000

One of five rules in "Politics and the English Language," Orwell’s directive about voice is just as meaningful today as it was more than 50 years ago.

Original

Revised

For that reason it is comprehensible why the authorities refused to allow their political prison system to be inspected or the inmates to be interviewed by international human rights organizations –not even the Red Cross– to verify the accusations made abroad.

This explains why authorities refused to allow international human rights organizations –even the Red Cross to inspect their political prison system, interview the inmates, or verify the accusations made abroad.

Thus, were individuals who felt the democratic goals that had inspired their struggle against the deposed dictatorship had been betrayed and were acting upon that fact but were caught.

The next group incarcerated were those caught acting on the democratic goals that had inspired their struggle against the deposed dictatorship that they felt the president had betrayed.