The title of the list is a gross misnomer. Half of the people on the list are political activists of some sort. Take Barenboim. Why is he an intellectual? He i

The title of the list is a gross misnomer. Half of the people on the list are political activists of some sort. Take Barenboim. Why is he an intellectual? He is a fantastic pianist, a (IMHO) mediocre conductor and an activist for peace in the middle east. Take Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She is a Dutch politician who build her entire career upon the fact that she has suffered a lot being raised as a female Muslim. She is definitely not what I would call an intellectual.