Buddhism is a diverse faith, and it includes more and less intellectual expressions. In some sects, yes, mind-clearing exercises are a palate-cleanser; in others, they're more than that -- but they're never the be-all and end all. You're right, though, that it's only in the bowdlerized "Western Buddhism" so heavily marketed these days by, and to, the clueless that you see the focus on mindlessness become the be-all and end-all of the tradition.