>The passive voice is called the passive voice for a reason: it's passive. "One can appreciate..." is the stronger statement, which may or may not, depending on the circumstances, be called for.
>
> > If anyone would like to volunteer to lead the way in this revolution, I will be happy to follow behind, raising the flag and shouting battle cries.
>
> Fight to make the English language weaker? No thanks.

I've found recently that a lot of people seem to really dislike the passive voice. (By "a lot of people" I mean those that actually care, of course...I'm rather nastily excluding the apathetic and indifferent here). The Microsoft Word grammar checker REALLY hates it (although it's moronic anyway) and will suggest an active alternative to every single passive sentence. I happen to like the passive voice, and I don't think it makes the language weaker, as such. Sometimes the passive is necessary, particularly if you don't want to mention the subject (the answer to the question "Did he fall or was he pushed?" sounds much better as "he was pushed" than "person or persons unknown pushed him,") but I suppose it's all a matter of opinion.

Weird thing, the English language. Oh well, once one understands it one finds it easier to use, even if one sounds unbelievably Schnooorbish...

Si-"Gabblin' away like nobody's business"-gi