Source: Manhattan SC- Guide 6, page-144

Supporters of a costly new defense advanced research projects Agency (DARPA) initiative assert that the project will benefit industrial companies as well as military itself. In many instances, military research has resulted in technologies that have fueled corporate development and growth, and this pattern can be expected to continue.

Each of the following, if true, serves to weaken the argument above EXCEPT:

A: The research initiative will occupy many talented scientists, many of whom would otherwise have worked for private corporations.
B: In past decades, DARPA has adopted an increasingly restrictive stance regarding the use of intellectual property resulting from its research.
C: A high proportion of the government resources directed towards the initiative would ordinarily have gone to tax subsidies for various business.
D: The research initiative is focused on materials development through nano-technology, which is thought to have many commercial applications.
E: The DARPA research makes use of manufacturing processes the would be cost-prohibitive for most companies to replicate.

My query :

The conclusion of the above problem as mentioned in the guide is that "the project will benefit industrial companies as well as military itself". But I understand that this is the conclusion from standpoint of supporters of DARPA where as the author's conclusion is that "military research has resulted in technologies that have fueled corporate development and growth, and this pattern can be expected to continue. The tone of the author's conclusion suggests that the military searches should be conducted for military benefit only and not for industrial benefit or commercial purposes. and this should ideally be the conclusion.

And if I go by this, I find (E) to be strengthening the author's conclusion.

Please correct where I am going wrong.

[please note - this question comes from the CR book, not SC, and it can be found in the 4th edition of the book. also note that there are numerous transcription errors; students should refer to the problem in the book if possible rather than reading the question as transcribed by the original poster]

i see nothing at all indicating, whether through tone or wording, that the author thinks the research should be for military benefit only. it is pretty clear from the argument that the author agrees with the supporters..

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Tim Sanders
Manhattan GMAT Instructor