Recently, some critics of the U.S. government have pointed out that

A) The high quality of hospitals in the United States is not a factor affecting the public’s vulnerability to infectious
disease. - good hospitals has nothing to do with infection rate. Seems to weaken the argument
B) Whether or not the critics are disloyal has no bearing on whether or not they are wrong. - Weakens
C) The Europeans that the official cited are a demographically narrow sample, overwhelmingly composed of wealthy
males over the age of fifty. - Not all europeans. Weakens.
D) The average life span of United States citizens is determined not only by deaths due to infectious diseases but also
by deaths due to all other causes. - Does not support Officials argument
E) Comparing the United States to all United Nations member nations does not address the concern that the U.S. is
behind other advanced industrialized nations in a particular way. - Weaken

I don't agree with the OA.

The official's conclusion is that people who claim that the U.S. is more vulnerable
than other nations because of the country's lack of a national vaccine laboratory
are disloyal and incorrect. His basis for that conclusion is that the U.S. has
generally long life span and low infant mortality relative to all UN countries.
Moreover, he cites the high quality of American hospitals, and he adds that many
people he knows from around the world come to the U.S. for medical care. We
are asked to find the choice that does NOT point out a weakness or potential
weakness in the official's argument.
(A) CORRECT. This choice states that the high quality of hospitals is not a factor
affecting the public's vulnerability to infectious disease. However, the quality of
hospitals very arguably does affect how vulnerable the public is to such disease.
(B) This choice highlights the official's logical jump from "disloyal" to "wrong" in
the phrase "these critics are disloyal and thus wrong about the public's
vulnerability." There is no necessary connection between disloyalty and
wrongness.
(C) If the Europeans that the official cited overwhelmingly consist of wealthy men
over the age of fifty, then the official relied on an unrepresentative sample to
justify his claim. What is true of wealthy older European men is not necessarily
true of Europeans or non-Americans generally.
(D) If the average life span of Americans is determined by causes other than
infectious disease, then the official is not limiting his evidence to cases relating to
vaccines. Other causes of death are not relevant to the critics' argument.
(E) The ranking of the United States relative to all UN countries is misleading,
since it does not compare the U.S. to other "advanced industrialized" or
"developed" nations, as the critics' claim does.

Recently, some critics of the U.S. pointed that country is the only advanced industrialized nation without a national vaccine laboratory and this lack makes the American public more vulnerable than other developed nations to infectious diseases, such as avian flu.

A government official said these critics were disloyal and thus wrong about the public’s vulnerability.

To support his claim, the official cited the generally long life span and low infant mortality of United States citizens, relative to all United Nation member nations.

Mentioning the high quality of American hospitals, he added that all of the Europeans that he knew preferred to undergo major medical treatments in the United States rather than in the socialized medical systems in place in their home countries.

All of the following are weaknesses or potential weaknesses in the official’s argument EXCEPT:

C) The Europeans that the official cited are a demographically narrow sample, overwhelmingly composed of wealthy
males over the age of fifty.(if the sample cited by official is not proper and even, then his claim gets weakened)

D) The average life span of United States citizens is determined not only by deaths due to infectious diseases but also
by deaths due to all other causes.
(The official cited the generally long life span to indicate the better health, less infectious diseases among public.
But if avg life span indicates a lot of causes and deaths and deaths due to infectious diseases is only a factor of all those causes, then the sample he chose to support his claim is not sufficiently enough. so his claim weakens)

E) Comparing the United States to all United Nations member nations does not address the concern that the U.S. is
behind other advanced industrialized nations in a particular way.(This is the major flaw in official argument.)

narrowed the choices to A and B, I got stuck between choices A and B.

A) The high quality of hospitals in the United States is not a factor affecting the public’s vulnerability to infectious disease.
(The author mentioned high quality of hospitals to show that they are so good that UK citizens come for their treatment and such fantastic treatment is available to locals as well
and
it is not true that without a national vaccine laboratory makes the American public more vulnerable than other developed nations to infectious diseases, such as avian flu.

It is possible that people are vulnerable since there is no vaccine lab(Assuming the US do not import vaccines from other countries for infectious diseases) and reach to hospital for a good treatment after they are infected(good enough since it attracts foreign patients). Official said that good hospitals are available for treatment but did not say that they effect or reduce public's vulnerability to infectious disease.
So this statement cannot make official statement fall apart or weaken.)

B) Whether or not the critics are disloyal has no bearing on whether or not they are wrong.
(officer says since critics are disloyal, they are wrong
but
if the critics disloyalty cannot influence or effect their statement truth
then his statement cannot be true.)

Am I correct in my analysis regarding all options and especially A and B.
mikemcgarry or DmitryFarber or any expert?(fingers crossed )

in this ques the official has already mentioned high quality hospitals as a reason that US is not behind other nations so A option is weakening the argument. How this be the answer?

Dear Parickshit,

I'm happy to respond. This is a MGMAT question, and apparently the folks at MGMAT have become concerned with some flaws in the question. See:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... t1089.html

I agree that this answer choice has issues.

Mike

Hey guys,
There is no need to over analyze this question!
This question is flawed as stated by Manhattan Gmat Prep advisors :

https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... t1089.html

Recently, some critics of the U.S. government have pointed out that this country is the only advanced industrialized nation without a national vaccine laboratory and suggested that this lack makes the American public more vulnerable than other developed nations to infectious diseases, such as avian flu. A government official said these critics were disloyal and thus wrong about the public’s vulnerability. To support his claim, the official cited the generally long life span and low infant mortality of United States citizens, relative to all United Nation member nations. Mentioning the high quality of American hospitals, he added that all of the Europeans that he knew preferred to undergo major medical treatments in the United States rather than in the socialized medical systems in place in their home countries.

All of the following are weaknesses or potential weaknesses in the official’s argument EXCEPT:


A. The high quality of hospitals in the United States is not a factor affecting the public’s vulnerability to infectious disease.

B. Whether or not the critics are disloyal has no bearing on whether or not they are wrong.

C. The Europeans that the official cited are a demographically narrow sample, overwhelmingly composed of wealthy males over the age of fifty.

D. The average life span of United States citizens is determined not only by deaths due to infectious diseases but also by deaths due to all other causes.

E. Comparing the United States to all United Nations member nations does not address the concern that the U.S. is behind other advanced industrialized nations in a particular way.

Hi, can anyone explain how option A is a correct answer. Isnt't it true that high quality of hospitals does not play a role in determining how vulnerable a person is to a contagious disease. They will probably a factor in curing it, but not preventing it..

The question was discussed before and created some debate even among experts:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/recently-some-critics-of-the-u-s-government-have-pointed-out-that-139714.html
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/forums/recently-some-critics-of-the-u-s-government-have-pointed-t1089.html

Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.