Dr Jordan B PetersonVerified account

The reason intersectionality is so often brought up is actually b/c of ppl's inability to understand it. Eg. ppl will gripe about the concept of white privilege because "What about poor whites?" as if pros AND cons don't exist. I don't think it's a problem with the left...

Yeah, but then can you really call them privileged.

That's not a fair account, and I doubt Kimberle Crenshaw or any of the major proponents of intersectional theory would recognize any of their novel ideas in your characterization. Intersectional theory has its weaknesses, but it is more nuanced than you're giving it credit for.

fwiw, i doubt Marx would recognize his own ideas among the vast-majority of people currently calling themselves 'Marxists', either. That there's a big gap between 'theory', and the arguments activists typically advance under that theory's name, should be obvious.

Also I would have thought you of all people would demonstrate more charitability when interpreting a theory you don't like given you have justifiably pushed against attempts to mischaracterize your work as little more than common sense, or reactionary mysticism and so on.

Intersectionality is useful. In the days of clan rule, identity was lineage-hierarchical. In the days of Nationalism, status was geography-hierarchical. Identity was thus simple. Today identity is complicated, and we need more complex ways to think about it.

That's not to say that every thesis proposed by intersectionality theorists is equally useful.