Consumer advocate: Under the current absence of government standards

I think A also fits. Not sure why there should be a preference to C just because its more assertive.

Yes i think its C

How B option is ruled out when it supports the manufacturer’s position?

(B) Government standards for truthful labeling should always be designed to reflect common standards of understanding.

This option cannot support manufacturer stand point.
if we consider the consumer advocate procedure he says "fresh means unprocessed" where as manufacturer says "it never mean unfrozen"
I believe the manufacturer agrees with the consumer advocate but provides a conclusion that favors the manufacturer.
So i short option (B) supports the consumer advocate more than the manufacturer.

common standards relates to consumer advocate's argument since the manufacturer doesn't refute the consumer advocate in his argument instead he provides a different explaination.

hence, option A is more inclined towards the consumer advocate than the manufacturer.

I would also go with A. It states that in absence of Government rules, common sense can be used which is in favour of Manufacturer.

C option is also close one. But I rejected it because gives a negative impression in manufacturer's say.

Hence A is correct according to me

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I feel D is correct because questions ask for "Which one of the following principles, if established, ", D is the one which establishes such a rule and supports the argument and avoids the ambiguity.

(A) seems to be incorrect because it talks about "Common standards in the absence", the entire argument itself is based on missing a common standard.
(C) seems incorrect because manufacturer argues that there is no deception from their side, they merely assumed another meaning of "Fresh", so C contradict wit that.

Why not option E ?! It refutes the accusation of the consumer advocate that vagueness doesn't necessarily mean deception.

Hi broall
If u have OE for this question, please post it. This was a tough question.

Thanks

Consumer advocate: Under the current absence of government standards for food product labeling, manufacturers are misleading or deceiving consumers by their product labeling. For example, a certain brand of juice is labeled “fresh orange juice,” yet the product is made from water, concentrate, and flavor enhancers. Since “fresh” as applied to food products is commonly understood to mean pure and unprocessed, labeling that orange juice “fresh” is unquestionably deceptive.

Manufacturer: Using words somewhat differently than they are commonly used is not deceptive. After all, “fresh” can also mean never frozen. We cannot be faulted for failing to comply with standards that have not been officially formulated. When the government sets clear standards pertaining to product labeling, we will certainly comply with them.

Consumer Advocate:
Core- This product is deceptively labeled because "Fresh" is commonly understood to mean pure and unprocessed but this product is not.

Manufacturer:
Core: The product is not deceptively labeled because "Fresh" can also mean "never frozen"

Which one of the following principles, if established, would contribute most to a defense of the manufacturer’s position against that of the consumer advocate?

(A) In the absence of government definitions for terms used in product labeling, common standards of understanding alone should apply.-- opposite - this goes against the manufacturer's position

(B) Government standards for truthful labeling should always be designed to reflect common standards of understanding. -- irrelevant- If government standards come in the future, the manufacturer will comply

(C) People should be free, to the extent that it is legal to do so, to exploit to their advantages the inherent ambiguity and vagueness in language. - Correct; This is what the manufacturer does 'Using words somewhat differently than they are commonly used is not deceptive'

(D) When government standards and common standards for truthful labeling are incompatible with each other, the government standards should always take precedence. - irrelevant; If government standards come in the future, the manufacturer will comply

(E) In their interpretation of language, consumers should never presume that vagueness indicates an attempt to deceive on the part of manufacturers unless those manufacturers would reap large benefits from successful deception.- incorrect; Firstly we are not provided enough information to determine whether these manufacturers have reaped large benefits. If these manufacturers have indeed reaped large benefits, then this goes against the manufacturer's claim

Answer C

CA: Labeling fresh is deceptive.
M: Fresh has multiple meanings. When government tells me which one to use I will use that.

The questions asks us to defend M against CA.

A. In the absence of government definitions for terms used in product labeling, common standards of understanding alone should apply. - M doesn't want to use 'Fresh' in the commonly meant way since there is no directive from govt. on how to use that word.

(B) Government standards for truthful labeling should always be designed to reflect common standards of understanding. - M really don't want to talk about abstracts here.

(C) People should be free, to the extent that it is legal to do so, to exploit to their advantages the inherent ambiguity and vagueness in language. - M does say that, I will do what I want to do until the govt. tells me not to do it. This is what we are looking for.

(D) When government standards and common standards for truthful labeling are incompatible with each other, the government standards should always take precedence. - M is not a judge to decide who wins a conflict. He only gives a damn about his juice!

(E) In their interpretation of language, consumers should never presume that vagueness indicates an attempt to deceive on the part of manufacturers unless those manufacturers would reap large benefits from successful deception. - Consumers who?? We are talking about M here.

Hope this helps!

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