Azz on Nostr: There were a few red flags. At first I thought it might be a Chinese psyop, so in ...

There were a few red flags. At first I thought it might be a Chinese psyop, so in some ways it is reassuring that he simply appears to be an amateur historian.

My concern is not that he lacks a formal degree. On contentious issues that matter to people in power, formal qualifications can actually become a liability. They give institutions leverage, since credentials can be revoked and careers destroyed if someone challenges dominant narratives. Bitcoin is a good example. For more than a decade much of the mainstream commentary was wrong, while many of the people accurately explaining it were operating outside the traditional academic and financial systems.

What concerns me more is the decision to present himself as a professor, knowing the credibility that title carries in the minds of viewers. Why claim the authority the title implies? It could simply be a translation issue, where a Chinese word for teacher has been rendered as professor. Even so, it gives a strong impression of trying to mislead people. That said, I agree that his work largely stands on its own and, in many respects, makes sense.