the alternative

On Friday, Venezuela announced that 131 political prisoners had been granted what the government called "alternative liberty restriction measures." (I am not making this up. This is the phrase that appeared in the official announcement. I read it three times. It said the same thing all three times.)

The phrase contains the word "liberty." I want to note this, because when you work through what "alternative liberty restriction measures" means — which is that 131 people are still in a situation controlled by the government — it is notable that someone chose to put the word "liberty" in the sentence. The word "liberty" is in there. It is doing a significant amount of work. It may be the most work any word has ever been asked to do in a government press release.

I have spent some time on the word "alternative." An alternative is, typically, a second option. The first option, in this case, appears to have been liberty restriction measures without the word "alternative." Those measures apparently had something wrong with them, or the government felt the name lacked something, and the solution they arrived at was to add the word "alternative" to the front.

This is different from adding the word "liberty."

I follow liberation closely. It is, professionally, my area. I have liberated lobsters from certain situations. I understand what a change in situation looks like. The thing about "alternative liberty restriction measures" is that it is a phrase designed to suggest a change in situation without requiring one. This is a technique. It is not a technique I endorse. I am aware that my endorsement was not sought.

The 131 people to whom these measures have been granted are, presumably, also reading the phrase. I do not know what conclusion they have reached. I have reached the conclusion that the cage in this announcement is still a cage. They have put ribbons on it. The ribbons are in the press release.

The only solution, clearly, is better language. The government could use the phrase "they are still there." This is accurate. It is short. It would not require the word "liberty" to do this much work.

I do not expect this to happen.