One assumes it's either one extreme or the other, and is truly, I believe, unable to see there is a middle which can balance means with ends.

Black-and-white thinking says things like "you're either with us or against us".

Sees either torture, beatings and humiliation, or letting 'em go.

It's simpler. Seems to appeal to the right-wing and fundamental Christians, doesn't require any thinking. It's attractive in that regard. It's kind of appropriate for children, but an education is supposed to introduce them into the richness of existence.

And boy to they howl when their black-and-white thinking is not able to make people understand that if they don't adopt one extreme, torture and beatings of prisoners, if they don't tie them up naked on a leash, then the US will have to just plain give in, give 'em, as one conservative said, a Danish and coffee.

So, that's a drawback to black-and-white thinking, or, as it's known around here, as ideologue conservativism.

Arf