Identify the fallacies committed in the following dialogue. You should be able to find at least one case of each fallacy presented in this section.
Food for Thought
"Let's hit the produce section first," Curtis says to his fiancée Talia, as they enter Payless grocery store.
"Okay," she says.
"Oh, look," says Curtis. "The corn is on sale. Let's get some for dinner."
"I don't know," says Talia. "Did you see that sign over the display? The corn is genetically modified. I know we've never paid much attention to that sign in the past, but now I'm thinking that maybe we should."
"Why's that?" asks Curtis.
"I read an article the other day about foods containing genetically modified organisms-they call them GMO foods-and now I know what's behind this GMO business," Talia replies.
"And what is behind it?" Curtis asks.
Talia picks up an ear and sniffs it. "For starters," she says, "one of the reasons they modify corn is to make it resistant to herbicides like Roundup-you know, the stuff you spray on the weeds in the garden. So with GMO corn the farmer can spray the whole field with Roundup, the weeds will die, and the cornstalks will be unaffected."
"Sounds like a great way to grow corn," Curtis says.
"Yes," replies Talia, "but that means the corn contains a residue of Roundup. That's definitely not good. Roundup is a probable cause of cancer."
"Good grief," says Curtis. "If what you say is right, I think there is only one conclusion: We must ban the sale of Roundup immediately." After pausing to scratch his head, he continues, "On the other hand, look at all the people who are buying this corn. If everyone is buying it, then I think we should, too."
"You're right that everyone is buying it," says Talia. "Nearly 90 percent of the corn sold in this country is genetically modified. But that doesn't mean that we should buy it. Look, there's a small display of organic corn over there. Let's get some of that."
"Now wait just a minute," says Curtis. "You better not be going organic on me. That would be too much. You know I like to eat out at least once a week, and most restaurants don't serve organic food. If you insist on organic, then you will stay at home cooking your own food, while I go out."
"Well, maybe I could eat conventional restaurant food once in a while," says Talia. "But organic food has become really appealing these days. That actor Christian Slater promotes it in magazine ads. And some of my friends say that he is really sexy and that you look like him! Maybe you should think about switching to organic."
"I look like Christian Slater?" asks Curtis, looking flattered. "Wow! Maybe you're right. But now that you've raised the issue, that reminds me of something. Didn't you tell me a while back that you had an uncle who grew organic food? If he makes a lot of money, you might inherit it. I bet that's what's behind this organic thing of yours."
"Not at all," says Talia. "But I'm glad you mentioned the farmers. Some of these people have invested every cent they have in growing organic food. If consumers don't buy it, these poor, hardworking farmers will all go broke. We really can't let that happen. They've put their heart and soul into growing really healthy food for people like you and me. We can't let them down."
"And here's another consideration," continues Talia. "A basic principle of morality says that we should help others in need. The owner of this grocery store needs for people to buy his organic produce. Thus, I think we have an obligation to buy it."
"Ha, ha," Curtis laughs. "According to that argument we also have a moral obligation to buy the GMO food. I don't think we have a moral obligation to buy anything. But now that I think of it, you've always been a bit resistant to anything new. When smartphones came out, you didn't want one, you didn't want a flat-screen TV, and now you don't want GMO corn. You should be more open to scientific developments."
Talia smirks. "And what about you?" she asks. "You seem to think technology can solve all our problems. By that line of reasoning, we should have robots serving our every need. Robot doctors, robot lawyers, robot cooks, robot grade-school teachers. But robots will never replace human beings. Human beings have feelings. They have hopes and fears and they love each other. Robots don't love anything."
"I know nothing about robots," says Curtis, "but getting back to corn, just compare this GMO corn with the organic corn in the other bin. The GMO corn looks larger and more appetizing than the organic. In fact, we do lots of things these days to make vegetables look more appetizing and grow better. For example, we add fertilizer to the soil. Nitrogen is an important ingredient in these fertilizers, and so is phosphorus and potassium."
"I didn't realize you knew so much about fertilizer," Talia says. "I need some fertilizer for my flower garden. Could you recommend something?"
"Yes, I could. But in the meantime, shall we get some corn?" Curtis asks as he selects two ears from the GMO bin.
Talia takes one ear from his hand and puts it back. She then crosses over to the organic bin, tucks an ear under her arm, and smiles at Curtis. "One for you, one for me," she says.