This is the first in what I hope will grow into a series of posts on rhetorical strategies commonly used by sociologists to avoid acknowledging inconvenient facts, avoid addressing arguments damaging to their position and generally create as much smoke as possible. My starter is the classic: "That leaves so much out".
Don't like where the argument is heading? Feel pinned in a corner? Can't argue your way out of a paper bag? Then "that leaves so much out" could be what you're looking for. See also the closely related: "...that is so narrow".
The counter is:
"Well, of course any argument, definition or proposition leaves some things out. Any argument about specifics has to. The only interesting question is whether what is left out has any relevance to the point being debated. So can we get back now to the point under discussion please."
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