I hear this and agree at some levels. People can use words like clubs, sometimes without even having the intention of doing so. Its annoying to deal with, because they have learned actions and patterns at a subconscious level that might be selfish or belligerent, and dont mesh with how you think they should be.
However I also am of the very strong opinion that some people, such as women or minorities, dont bother to speak up when in the presence of a more forceful or blinkered individual or group because they are afraid of confrontation, dont wish to rock the boat, or wish to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. Look at the situation in politics where so many dont bother to vote. They simply feel that no matter what they say, think or feel, that in the end the people with money or power will win. So they don't even try. Perhaps it's a cultural thing where it's not socially acceptable to object or speak out.
People become silent when dealing with someone they know who intimidates them, or in a situation in which they feel unsafe. Perhaps they have had the experience of others twisting their words or making them feel that their opinions simply don't matter. Perhaps they believe that when it's only a few people who object, that their opinion becomes somehow inconsequential to the larger group opinion, or their objections will be buried by someone more forceful.
So while you poo-poo the method of a person hiding behind "they", you might also be understanding that "they" come from another generation, culture or circumstance, "they" might be protecting someone or a group of someones who fear speaking out, or "they" might not feel safe voicing their opinion amongst a group of strangers, given past experiences that you cant even begin to understand.
Forcing people into a position of having to defend their opinion when confronted with a group of united peers or leaders, who then might politely belittle or purposefully misconstrue their words to make that person look "manipulative", or to help themselves save face, is not a kindness. It might place them in a more vulnerable position when dealing with a bully.
Yet it seems the trendy thing to do, to label all of the people like this as "clubs" or "manipulative", rather than trying to understand their fears, or seeing them as people who might only be doing the thing they were taught to do, that they feel safe doing.
Reading into what people say and taking it with a grain of salt, listening to the facts of the argument, instead of the method of delivery, may be more advantageous and kinder in the long run.