And why is that?
I thought intellectuals were people who had ideas.
And ideas are one of the most precious thing somebody can leave for posterity.
Intellectuals can defend arguments, they voice concerns about issues.
They even sometimes go to the battlefield , they expose themselves to criticism, may not always be right, but at least they shake our beliefs!
But their voice might be such that many simply hate them: that's because their ideas frighten them.
Are you afraid of ideas?
Besides, most intellectuals usually don't consider themselves as such, but are qualified as such by others.
The latin culture has a long tradition of respect towards intellectuals.

Raoul