Xia Yeliang, an associate professor who was dismissed from Peking University in 2013, became the butt of jokes on the Internet recently.

In a video shot overseas, Xia proposed that the Central Intelligence Agency should allocate some money to train 200 to 500 people so that they, like Navy Seals, can be deployed to Zhongnanhai if necessary, finish surprise attacks within two hours and occupy radio and TV stations. He also appealed for political assassinations and encouraged army and police mutinies. The Chinese public was astonished, but cannot help laughing at Xia's crazy comments.

According to foreign media reports, Xia made the comments at a closed-door round-table session attended by exiled dissidents at the College of Staten Island, the City University of New York. Xia's proposals were regarded absurd and crazy even by some radical Chinese dissidents, who could not help laughing when Xia made the speech, as the video suggests.

In an interview with the Global Times, scholars acquainted with Xia said they were surprised at their former colleague's behavior after he moved to the US in 2014.

Xia was dismissed by School of Economics, Peking University in 2013 for poor teaching. He ranked among the lowest in teaching assessments for several times.

The Western media regarded Xia's dismissal as a political suppression, a point to which some netizens showed sympathy. However, it is claimed that Xia always made poor preparations for his lessons, delivered radical political speeches in class, and was unpopular among his students.

Even if Xia's dismissal was controversial, the video, which went viral online, has vividly reflected Xia's radicalism and irrationality.

Talking off hand, Xia is unaware and may feel excited and even proud of himself after degenerating into a clown in the public opinion sphere. For his former colleagues, Xia has almost gone crazy.

Some think that Xia, marginalized by the US mainstream academic circle, attempts to satisfy his craving by making fantasies and exchanging these crazy ideas to his audience. Xia's hysteria is vividly reflected in his comments about attacking Zhongnanhai.

The video suggests that some radicals' minds are occupied with shady political thoughts, which may not be as absurd as Xia's comments, but are hostile to China's political institutions. With cracking down upon the current Chinese institutions as their primary goal, these opposition forces care little about China's peace and stability, let alone the nation's future.

However, these opposition forces are in the minority. It is unnecessary to overestimate the forces that Xia represents and prioritize dealing with them over other urgent tasks.

The overwhelming ridicule directed against Xia demonstrates that the public has the ability to tell the right from wrong.

Despite the replenishment of new exiled dissidents, the overseas pro-democracy group has not been upgraded as a whole, and is increasingly decaying.

Not as appealing as Tibet independence and Xinjiang independence forces, these dissidents expect China to collapse by itself or be crushed by the West.

The pro-independence forces exiled in the 1980s are now old and grey. Xia-represented successors may not see a better future than their predecessors. Being abandoned by history is their most likely destiny.

The author is a commentator of the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn