128. The public in the United States has in the past been conditioned to support a substantial defense budget by the threat of confrontation with the Eastern bloc. Now that that threat is dissolving, along with the Eastern bloc itself, it is doubtful whether the public can be persuaded to support an adequate defense budget. Which one of the following indicates a weakness in the position expressed above? (A) It presupposes that public opinion can be manipulated indefinitely, without the public’s becoming aware of that manipulation. (B) It refers to past and present events that do not have a causal connection with public support of the budget. (C) It assumes as fact what it seeks to establish by (D) It fails to give any reason for the judgement it reaches. (E) It hinges on the term “adequate”, the precise meaning of which requires reevaluation in the new context. |