Argument65 【天道酬勤作文互改小组】第二次作业

alarenmingUID: 2329302

65The following appeared in a memo from the president of a chain of cheese stores located throughout the United States.

"For many years all the stores in our chain have stocked a wide variety of both domestic and imported cheeses. Last year, however, the five best-selling cheeses at our newest store were all domestic cheddar cheeses from Wisconsin. Furthermore, a recent survey by Cheeses of the World magazine indicates an increasing preference for domestic cheeses among its subscribers. Since our company can reduce expenses by limiting inventory, the best way to improve profits in all of our stores is to discontinue stocking many of our varieties of imported cheese and concentrate primarily on domestic cheeses."

Arg65(42min)
The author concluded that the cheese stores should discontinue many of imported cheese and focus on the domestic cheese. To support the conclusion, the author listed the domestic cheese was the most popular goods in last year. In addition, he/she also incited a survey from which in the author’s opinion there is an increasing need for domestic cheese. At the first glance, it looks rational and convincing. But in a further look, I found the argument is so groundless.
First, the author committed a fallacy which is called all thing are equal. the fact of the domestic cheese was the best-seller do not give a promise that the next coming year things will be the same. It is possible that people are gradually changing their tastes in this years, and maybe there is a slight decline in the (vendition) of the domestic cheese which did not be noticed by the managers. In addition, imported cheese will dominate the market under the influence by the extrinsic culture. In this way, it is not so wise to discontinue the imported cheese.
Second, the survey offered in the segment to support the speaker’s viewpoint lack of key information. no detailed in the amounts, the (range), where, when, how and by who the survey was done. All the deficiency make the survey to be unreasonable. Not mention to boslter to the speaker’s words.
Third, another fallacy was committed by the author -----misapply generalization. Even if the survey reflects facts that the trend apt to domestic cheese does exist, it can not lead to a conclusion the citizen of the nation are coincide with the survey. The different trend among the nation may cause better (vendition) of the imported cheese than domestic ones. what is more, who can exclude the possibility that the domestic food here is all the same during all the year so that it can not attract habitants any more?
At the end, the author just considered that discontinuing the imported cheese to limit inventory is the best way of saving expense. Even the imported cheese is not so popular in the nation, this do not mean the best method to cut cost is not offering the imported cheese again. Maybe there are other better financial plans such as changing the cooperate for a cheaper one, reducing the ornate fee.
In short, in my observation, the author should consider the problem more complete. Only in the way, he/she can convince himself/herself, even us.

[ 本帖最后由 alarenming 于 2007-7-1 09:54 编辑 ]