Intersectionality: The New False God, by Jeremy Rosen.
When young people arrive at college today, they are likely to be confronted by a new, dogmatic orthodoxy. It has nothing to do with religion, but it has all the negative hallmarks of fundamentalism. It is the theory of intersectionality. This means, in a nutshell, that everyone must oppose every form of oppression. That sounds fair enough; I would agree with that in principle. But then you read the small print.
Intersectionality means that people should never be exposed to a contrary point of view — because it might upset someone else’s sense of identity, security and well-being. The marketplace of ideas used to be free and open. Now it has become restricted and closed — policed by cowards who don’t even dare to listen to the other side.
It’s a corollary of identity politics, which is a corollary of the new Left’s abandonment of the working class and pursuing an electoral majority based on all identity groups except white non-Muslim straight males.
Typical of this new orthodoxy is the logically nonsensical proposition that all colonialists and imperialists were white males — and therefore, all white males are evil. America is a white-male-dominated imperialist power. America supports Israel. Israel is oppressing Palestinians. Therefore, Israelis are imperialists and sexist. As if there were no Asian, African or Arab oppressors or imperialists … ever. As if Jews never had a homeland or a right to return to it. One man’s imperialist is another man’s freedom fighter and vice versa. …
Intersectionality started out as a theory to explain black disadvantage and then migrated into feminism; it has now metastasized into almost every corner of the non-scientific academic world. It maintains that multiple identities intersect to create a common whole that is different from the component identities. …
In truth, there are two kinds of intersectionality — exclusive and inclusive. The inclusive side is similar to the Torah’s. We should, as Jews, sympathize with anyone that is oppressed, regardless of race, sex or creed. Only those who actively try to destroy us or our way of life should be excluded.
When students with inquisitive minds get to college, they should explore and possibly identify with groups that are trying to improve the world and humanity. But on many campuses, students are being forced to choose. You cannot be pro-Israel (warts and all, and who has no warts?) and strive to solve the problems of Muslims or other victims around the world. This cannot make sense, or be just.
To make matters worse, the issues can’t even be discussed, because some pathetic, gutless, ninnies feel threatened simply by having to face the possibility of another point of view. How is it ever possible to hope for a resolution if discussion is forbidden and crying “abuse” becomes an argument??
hat-tip Scott of the Pacific
