We Have No Right to Judge China

I don't know how I got on this subscription list written by someone named, Jessica Wildfire. Both she and her husband are university professors, and for some reason she has taken it upon herself to critique the news (all the news, as presented) - and readers.

She's very smart and a fine writer and analyst, and somehow I find myself often reading the articles she sends me frequently (I see there's also a paid version - can't imagine how different the contents are). That'a despite my recurrent resolution to avoid reading "bad news" articles and analyses (which I also proselytize), as her speciality seems to be oppositional readings of world events which DO tend to be pessimistic.

And yet not only are they mesmerizing in their way (mostly well reasoned and definitely thought provoking), they constitute an IMO worthwhile challenge to usual world view analyses of either Left or Right.

This one is about China, titled, as above. simultaneously maddening and persuasive, it's still a - well, refreshing, re-think of how Westerners view China (here, focusing mostly on the developments of Covid and how they contrast, China and the West). Perhaps a bit overboard, reading it still amounts to a useful counter brain-wash of our usual views on the subject. (Likewise, every subject she researches).

Maddening yet persuasive, it's still a refreshing re-think of how Westerners view China. A bit overboard, reading it still amounts to a useful counter brain-wash of our usual views on the subject.

Yes, kind of an admonitory Jeremiad but then, who ARE the prophets of our age? I hadn't realized how stultified I'd grown in accepting my usual admired columnists until I found her.

You too might find it (and others of her editorials), interesting, worthwhile and challenging - a good antidote to the ubiquitous "echo chamber" effect which social media foments and worsens. It increases polarization, antagonisms and our own reduced capacity for critical thinking.

Dare you to expose yourselves to this analysis! I'd also love to know your thoughts about it and her. She does sound like a highly moral human being (based on an overview of factoids about her we get from reading other of her analyses). She calls herself (and others of her Ilk) as "not fear-mongers, but possessing 'Sentinel Intelligence''.
"Some of us", she adds as a footnote "are cursed to hear the future."

Mind-broadening and an exercise of our reasoning faculties (how to rebut her?) her writing is worth it if only for those benefits.

Since posting this thread, I spoke at length with my best friend who is Chinese about the article I posted here: "We have no right to judge China".

I was surprised to learn she agreed with almost all of it.

That makes it all the more important to read. I had thought it was a self-loathing exaggeration of China's current situation. Apparently, it's not.

Things are REALLY bad there, Covid-wise and economically (mostly related). Millions of deaths are expected, much because of overfilled hospitals (remember at the beginning of the pandemic here, the push to get behind the "curve" to avoid that?) As many as 70% of hospital staff are infected. The government has done a reversal of it's former rigid autocratic control measures, basically leaving the populace in shock as they're told, "You're on your own."

Almost all my friend's family and friends have gotten sick, and many people ARE dying.
Crematoria are overfilled.

I had no idea.

What's more, we can't afford to ignore it (even worse, rejoice in their problems) because the author predicts all too rationally, they're soon going to affect us personally, medically and economically.

The author sees America as bearing much of the responsibility for the problems there, as well as (per title) being morally at fault for our attitudes towards them and their current calamity.

I cannot tell from that article what the author might think about whether we have the right to judge, say, Afghanistan or Iran or Russia or the Empire of Japan or Nazi Germany.

Jessica Wildfire is also her porn name.

Well, I agree with her in a sense. The Chinese are also human beings, and they are suffering. No one should glibly celebrate their suffering.

You can be opposed to the actions and policies of a government, but never lose sight of the humanity of its citizens.

Americans *do* have a tendency to demonize other countries.

I wish we could evolve to the point of seeing each other as fellow humans.

quote:

Originally posted by Axtremus:
I cannot tell from that article what the author might think about whether we have the right to judge, say, Afghanistan or Iran or Russia or the Empire of Japan or Nazi Germany.

Ax, I'm puzzled by your rather sardonic comparison to our right to criticize the disreputable countries and regimes you listed.
First, the "Judgment"of China seems to refer to the various human rights violations and mishandling of the Covid crisis as implemented by the government .

(The point being how comparably inadequate the US's government's policies have been.)

But the sad equivalence of judging (to the point of rejoicing at the current suffering of the Chinese people) refers most to the radical calamity afflicting the ordinary citizenry. (I think everyone knows the governmental leaders availed themselves of Western vaccines and treatments to keep themselves safe.) There is an immense chasm between the Chinese government and the populace (the government is apparently now avenging itself on them for the lockdown protests, by doing a volte-face and just letting immense numbers of them die without any government help.)

I am curious about your experience with China of the last decades including the Cultural Revolution. I am sure you are much younger than my friend, and I can only think this has a great effect on your response to this presentation as expressed by a non Chinese-American.

Just for the record, my friend and her husband immigrated to the US about 30 years ago after spending many suffering years exiled in the "countryside" to be reeducated by the peasants.

You are probably about a generation apart and I feel sure this affects your attitudes about such things. I even wonder how many friends and relations you remain in close touch with, and how much if at all, you identify with them.

Although she and her husband are professors here, their origins in China were as the children of high level intellectuals (why they were deemed in need of reeducation).

My friend appreciates the opportunities immigration here has provided her and her family but she still reserves criticism of her adoptive country where she sees fit, while mostly being highly critical of the CCP's policies. This is facilitated by remaining in intimate contact with friends and relations there - visiting annually, until Covid prevented it.

What's more, her sister who remained in China, has long been one of the most influential journalists there (somehow surviving, despite opposing the government thanks to her savvy and overseas influence). Indeed, she has been named one of the 100 most powerful people in the world, besides other high level recognition by American publications I can't name.

As a source, she is impeccable.

It seems your absorption into this country without the same intimate experiences throughout your life, has Americanized you to where your sympathies and information about modern day China lie more with this country (and not its most humane citizens), estranging you from the modern Chinese experience and (real) news. I wonder how much you even have access to the facts of what is going on there now - NOT as presented in official publications. It is a great human tragedy.

I doubt you are dumbstruck with horror as are my friend and her immigrant in-laws, by knowing first-hand that ALL/Almost all their relatives and friends are sick, many dying (it's the worst in Beijing). Apart from this family news, she is informed by her insider sister.

I'm especially saddened by your reply to the title of the article (and the title alone. Did you read the rest?). That's because as a Chinese American, you have maximal influence at WTF. Your discrediting this analysis, makes it all the likelier that it will be ignored by the rest (as illustrated by other members' trivializing responses.). What's more, this author (NOT a porn star), does IMO offer us a great opportunity to challenge the echo chamber effect which polarizes and diminishes us all, and to an increasing degree.

That's why I said (and not only in reference to this article) I challenged readers to expose themselves to her interesting and informed writing - yes, a bit rambling at times - but invaluable as a thought exercise. Personally, she's done much to broaden my thinking. It had become more limited and uninformed than I realized, relying increasingly on favorite columnists. This self-made editorialist has the potential to restore our capacity for critical thinking, if only by forcing us to think in novel ways to rebut her.

And kudos to you, pique for cutting to the heart of the humane challenge so many are increasingly failing - distinguishing between the government and the citizens (especially appropriate in a dictatorship).

Anyone who reads in detail about the enormity of the human calamity taking place in China, without feeling compassion (worse, enjoying their suffering) has lost much of their own humanity.

Perhaps we've seen the country for so long as economic competitors, we have lost our capacity to perceive them as fellow human beings.

If so, we (those well situated, anyhow ) are diminished and have lost any claim to compassion for such catastrophes when we are the ones stricken.

My friend reports her sister says the China Covid crisis will probably begin to improve in mid -January.

That China's main problem is their lack of experience in dealing with serious Covid cases, and that they're learning fast.

Not sure how much the US has to do with that. She reported that a highly respected old scholar there (on his deathbed from Covid) was saved because a friend of his contacted a specialist in San Diego (also a friend) who directed his care from there.

Really too bad China refused the help from America - the vaccines and all. She says China apparently cares more about saving face than saving lives. Sad. At least we tried, though.

quote:

Originally posted by Amanda:
I don't know how I got on this subscription list written by someone named, Jessica Wildfire.

Someone here posted a link to one of her pieces a few weeks back. Maybe you signed up for it then? It was about COVID. It seemed very well thought out and comprehensive, but after digging around for a while it seemed that she left out a lot of information that was not supportive of her argument.

quote:

Both she and her husband are university professors,

I was trying to confirm this and have been unable to. Do you have a link I could look at?

There's just something that's not sitting right about her.

Read her responses to Michele McGinnis in this post:

https://jessicawildfire.substa...mers-at-the/comments

And this post was interesting...

https://jessicalexicus.medium....lickbait-ea02c52d06e

Dunno. Something just doesn’t seem right..

Yes, I'm sure that's where I heard of Jessica Wildfire (WTF).

As to her academic credentials - she's spoken of her job at the U. of Tennessee (something in the Dept of Athletics), and here's reference of that. (Only thing that confuses me is that her name is listed as what I thought was her pseudonym, Jessica Wildfire.)

https://utsports.com/staff-dir...essica-wildfire/2833

About her husband (who is listed part of the time as her boyfriend early on) she said something somewhere (sorry, I don't remember where) about their both being university professors. I'm not able to find any credentialing to that effect, though (and I too, looked, being curious).

Maybe that's because his name (even his first name) is never given so as to Google it.
OTOH that really doesn't mean anything to me re his authenticity, as I can well understand not wanting to be identified publicly as her husband. She is SO personal and in your face!

She writes a good bit about being a mother, and it seems he is the father (details blur when you read/skim much of her writing. She is SO long-winded and tangential, however much she writes - IMO - very well.)

There are numerous suppositions online about her "real" last name (forget where) and she herself writes somewhere "why I use a pseudonym".

I didn't think the exchange with Michele McGinnis was particularly telling or discrediting even though Michele, also certainly very well written, is doing her best to make Jessica's sometimes prophetic persona look overblown (and inaccurate).

The rest of the dialogue (from others) makes Jessica opinions and reasoning sound more rational and well-justified.

If you wonder how I view her and why I clearly value her input, please recall I stressed above all her utility as a doctrine challenger, her editorials (I guess term that fits) as thought exercises. That's because of her informational input and "different" POVs.

Echo Chambers, especially because of the power of social media, are truly dangerous IMO both to individuals and society as a whole, most of all because they increase polarization and decrease independent thinking. Independent, she IS.

I never came across her talking about being a professor but I didn’t read her posts extensively. She is a prolific writer on many topics .

I found the Jessica Wildfire at Tennessee that you linked but didn’t think the photo was of the person whose photo appears on the various blogs.

Edit: The blogger Jessica apparently wrote a book called Professor Gone Wild a few years ago. I found it on Amazon and the back cover has the same photos that appear on her various blogs. The author info on Professor Gone Wild says she teaches English at a university in the Southwest.


https://www.amazon.com/Profess...ldfire/dp/1549636960

Anyway, glad you’ve found a writer you enjoy reading. I recently added Eric Topol to my list of favorites.


https://erictopol.substack.com/

It seems that Jessica Wilder has been searching for her niche for awhile. I found this on Amazon.



I wonder how much she writes is factual and how much is simply what she finds her audience wants to hear.

Big Al

quote:

Originally posted by wtg:

I found the Jessica Wildfire at Tennessee that you linked but didn’t think the photo was of the person whose photo appears on the various blogs.

I noticed that too. Since her popular author photo is SO attractive and appealing, I wondered about it especially with that discrepancy.

quote:

Anyway, glad you’ve found a writer you enjoy reading. I recently added Eric Topol to my list of favorites.


https://erictopol.substack.com/

I too found him very interesting. Thank you.

My Chinese friend just wrote me more about how MANY of the Chinese public are sickening with Covid these days, also how distorted governmental statistics are about how many of the deaths are attributed to Covid.

Sounded much like similar complaints about US statistics on Covid deaths (particular states especially - i.e., not counting as Covid deaths, ones from sources attributed instead to secondary effects/illnesses coinciding with Covid infections).

That the public in also infuriated at the notable absence of compassion on the part of high officials referencing Covid deaths and suffering. That XI didn't express any regret/sorrow about the high number of Covid deaths in his New Years Day speech.