【Big Fish】3月4日Argument14--By Sansouci

SansouciUID: 2755036

ARGUMENT14
The following appeared in a memo from the owner of Green Thumb Gardening Center, a small business serving a suburban town.

"There is evidence that consumers are becoming more and more interested in growing their own vegetables. A national survey conducted last month indicated that many consumers were dissatisfied with the quality of fresh vegetables available in supermarkets. And locally, the gardening magazine Great Gardens has sold out at the Village News stand three months in a row. Thus, we at Green Thumb Gardening Center can increase our profits by greatly expanding the variety of vegetable seeds we stock for gardeners this coming spring."

In this argument, the arguer concludes that Green Thumb Gardening Center can increase our profits by greatly expending the variety of vegetables seeds we stock for gardening this coming spring due to consumers are becoming more and more interested in growing their own vegetables. To support the conclusion, the arguer concludes that a national survey conducted last month indicated that many consumers were dissatisfied with the quality of fresh vegetables available in supermarkets. In addition, the arguer reasons that the gardening magazines Great Gardening has sold out at the Village News stand three months in a row. This argument suffers from several critical fallacies.
The speaker unfairly assumes that residents are willing to buy vegetable seeds in Green Thumb Center and plant seeds in their own garden by themselves. Although the author provides locally gardening magazines has sold well in three months. However, it is unclearly that concrete content of the gardening magazines and why people bought it. It is entirely possible that the motivation of residents bought gardening magazines is beautify their gardening with more flowers. In short, without accounting for possible concrete content of gardening magazine, the director cannot convince me that the well sold of gardening magazines means that consumers are becoming more and more interested in growing their own vegetables.
The national survey showing clear trends that many consumers were dissatisfies with the quality of fresh vegetables available in supermarkets doesn’t necessarily apply to village. It’s quite possible that local villager do not follow these general trends. For that matter, the villager can obtain more fresh vegetables in nearly farms or groceries, the national trends might be just the opposite. Thus, the national trends that the argument cites amount to scant evidence that residents are prefer growing their own vegetables.
Even if there is sufficient evidence that consumers are prefer growing their own vegetables, the speakers still unfairly assumes that the Green Thumb Gardening Center can increase our profits by greatly expending the variety of vegetables seeds we stock for gardening this coming spring. Profitability is a function of both revenue and expense. The memo provides no information about the costs that greatly expending the variety of vegetables seeds stock. Obviously, expending the variety of vegetables must increase revenue; it is completely possible that profits are zero. .In short, without more information about supply, demand, and production costs, it is impossible to determine whether the club can earn a profit from greatly expending the variety of vegetables seeds stock.
In conclusion, the argue fails to establish a casual relationship between customers’ increasing interest at growing their own vegetables and the club should greatly expending the variety of vegetables seeds stock. To strengthen the argument, the arguer would have to provide evidence that how many customers prefer growing their own vegetables and clearly cognize the gardening market.