I am so confused about AWA because I learned the following writing styles (which states the fallacies in the argument clearly) in another forum. Please point out if that is not american style.
In this argument, the author claims that long term experience enables them to minimize the costs and thus maximize the profits in food processing industry. The author uses the decreasing cost in color film processing industry in 24 years as an example to emphasize that an organization will be more efficient if they learn how to do things better. At the first glance, the author's argument seems to be somewhat appealing, but through examination reveals that the argument is problematic because of two fallacies made.
Firslty, the author made a gratuitous assumption that the long term experience guarantees the profits will be the greatest. However, there is no such evidence in the past to support author's argument. The author fails to account the other factors that may also affect the costs of the food. For example, salary of the labour, the raw foods price and the unpredictable expenditures. In common sense, these factors affecting the cost of food processing are variables. Therefore, this argument in the question should not be accepted except evidence is provided.
Secondly, the author has also committed the fallacy of false analogy. The argument rests on the assumption that food processing industry is analogous to film processing industry is unconvincing since the differences between these two industries outweigh similarities. For example, the food processing industry involves the problems of food contamination, transportation and packaging which are totally different from the problems faced by the film processing industry. As a result, the author cannot simply apply the trend of price in film processing industry in food processing industry.
In conclusion, author's argument is not persuasive as it stands. In order to strengthen author's argument, his should provide the company has learned how to do thing better which helped them to minimize costs and maximize profits. On the other hand, author can also uses other frozen food industry with similar company background as an example to illustrate his believe.
