Intersectionality is ‘a bogus theory’

With all due respect to David Bernstein and the work that he does, intersectionality is a bogus theory and buying into it is a mistake (“Intersectionality excludes and includes. Jews must learn the difference”). Not all oppression stems from the same causes and to  think otherwise is to ignore the unique history of each oppressed people, whether it be based on religion, race, gender, or something else.

However, if one were to accept this concept, one could easily argue that the intersectionality of oppressed women, gays and religious minorities  is with Islam. Where else but in the Islamic world do we have gender apartheid, persecution of gays and the oppression of religious minorities? In many cases we also have discrimination based on race such as in Sudan.

Since you never hear this coming from the proponents of this theory, one can assume they are not interested in scholarship, but only to blame the white, male establishment for every wrong they perceive in the world.  To think that the demonization of Gypsies is related to the persecution of Yazidis, or the slaughter of albinos in Africa, is beyond ludicrous.

This theory is just a pseudointellectual way of blaming Jews for the world’s problems. Jews and Zionists should not be shy about exposing this new version of anti-Semitism. Bernstein does not do his cause any favor by accepting this nonsense as anything other than academic b.s. Students should be taught to challenge the concept by exposing the perpetrators of this myth for the bigots that they are. We do not need to debate our right to our ancestral homeland.

Gil Stein,
Aptos