Usually when we use the word "they", this seems to be part of the blame game. And most often, after analyzing statements using "they", I conclude that it really should point at "we". In that, when carefully assessing the associated responsibilities, usually who ever the presumed "they" is, is not at all entirely responsible, and may just be the scapegoat in the blame game.

When I use the word they, I try to keep this in mind (and actually use the word only when having defined a particular group to be referenced as they).

Interesting is the vague statements that are so very common that utilize an unspecified "they", that is unquestioned and assumed clear.

I reference many statements that have begun with "they say....". But who they are, and any proof that they actually said this is never made clear.

An example might be : they say it's always warmer just before it rains. Who is they? We would hope that it's about meteorologists, but usually it's something one person heard, often the same statement with an unknown they. Whether true or not is not relevant to the fact that the they is still unclear, and in order to handle the information correctly, who they are really needs to be determined for verification, and determination of accuracy.

For me, one of the easiest things is to look at simply instead of they, use we. Although in this previous example that does not make sense, it really makes things clearer to me when looking at things like the government going to war. When talking about what "they are doing", then a person separates themself. The point is to not to accept any part of the responsibility, but it also distances that person from their own country.

So if I were to make a statement "they keep the crime rate high in order to scare people into using cars just to go down the block", then who is this vague they? I can start assigning it to the government, car and health care industries working with police, etc., but that would not make sense as the entire system is what determines the crime rate. Or another way to look at it, is that if there was a specific they that had this goal in mind, how could they exhibit so much power over the other people involved, that these people are forced into their role in this, without their knowledge, and without them being able to determine what is the possible result of their actions.