The perpetuation of the Golden Mean fallacy in the American consciousness has probably been one of the greatest disservices in the nation's history.
The Golden Mean fallacy, of course, is the suggestion that the truth always lies "in the middle" of any two views.
The average American thinks that the solution to any ideological question is halfway between the two positions proposed.
They of course completely ignore the relative accuracy of the arguments, or the fact that sometimes an argument can simply be
wrong.
It unfortunately appeals to the basic human desire for "fairness," and has resulted in such nonsense as "equal time" supporters who support teaching Creationism alongside Evolution in science classrooms.
Instruction not only in logical fallacies but in
basic logic should be mandatory at the High School level at a minimum. Critical thinking in the American educational system currently is an afterthought, and that's simply shameful.