Shameless offstumped (Niticentral) behaving as the hitmen of Nestle

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http://www.niticentral.com/2015/06/03/maggi-noodles-ban-imperils-livelihood-of-lakhs-316363.html

1. The article is full of logical fallacies. The cleverest way to counter sound argument is to introduce material which is not core to it. This is what the mandarins of Offstumped seem to be learning. Sorry to convey to them the news that they have failed miserably. The whole article is filled with material which is not related in any way to the question at hand. The question at hand is whether maggi which contains mono sodium glutamate (MSG) and lead is harmful  to people or not (and hence deserving a ban or not).
2. The standard method of making rats diabetic in lab experiments is to feed them MSG. This is what the half literate Offstumped writers should get into their thick skulls.
3. If lead were safe, why would we have unleaded petrol as a standard across the world? Still, offstumped will have us believe "Why go after trace quantities of lead in noodles when our air and water are poisonous". We may continue the argument and say, why go against bootleggers and flesh-traders when we have so much of corruption at the top? Arguments such as these are called the "run away train" fallacies and should be nipped in the bud.
4. The reference to Ayurvedic medicines containing lead is a diversionary argument. (a red herring fallacy), its effect is amplified by inserting the word "millions". It is also the "begging the question" fallacy, with the questions being: what is the number of people who are affected by lead poisoning due to Ayurvedic medicines. Merely saying "millions" won't do? Were those who consumed those medicines subjects of a Rs. 400 crore advertizing blitz? There is no advertizing for any lead based medicine by any of the Ayurvedic drug manufacturers in India (at least at the scale of Maggi, as far as we know). A chemotherapy medicine when taken by a cancer patient will cause him some good, but when taken by a healthy person will cause him immense harm. This is the difference which the scroll author and the Offstumped authors seem to be selectively unaware about.
5. There are lakhs of people engaged in drug peddling and flesh trade "value chains". Do we legalize them in the same way that Offstumped seeks to legitimize Maggi?
6. The article starts with a wise sounding question: "How many reported falling sick after eating Maggi noodles"? The same can be asked of brown sugar, heroin etc. How many complain about them? They seem to be consumed happily.
7. Two wrongs do not make a right. Hence, saying that we should keep eating Maggi noodles until we ban unhealthy practices in food preparation in hotels doesn't hold water. We have to deal with them independently and separately.
8. The Kerala-government-runs-retail-shops argument is funny to say the least. This is another red herring fallacy. The question is whether Maggi is safe or not. it is not about what the bakeries association decides. The Bakeries association had recently agreed not to use artificial colouring in bakery foods (without any directive from the government). Hence, the decision by the bakeries association seems to be independent of the government decision.
9. What takes the cake in all red-herring fallacies in the argument is this: "We should not ban Maggi because it will help Kejriwal and his anti-industry stance". Sir, I am not a supporter of Kejriwal, but there are many who support him and still may prefer to eat Maggi (and vice versa and many variations thereof). In colouring greys as black and white, you have given rise to a false dilemma fallacy.
10. The kirana shop owner down my street has hundreds of things to sell, removing Maggi from his store will not kill him. Hence, please keep your alarmist argument - that all kirana stores will close because of a Maggi ban - to yourself.
11. There is no media "frenzy" which is uncalled for. If Nestle can create a media frenzy to consume Maggi using upwards of Rs. 400 Crores for advertizing, one can really call the bluff of Offstumped. Not even a paid PR agent could have written such drivel as written by Offstumped.
12. The description of Offstumped as "Offstumped Report is a Digital Persona for aggregating Opinionated Center Right Commentary by Niti Central Staff." is frivolous. There is nothing center or right in this article. It is worse than yellow journalism to write such articles.

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