The task of devising a novel application model for distributed Web applications is left to the reader as an exercise.

(It's not _just_ JavaScript that one should get rid off, but the abuse of the whole HTML+X set of stacks to implement interactive Web applications. There must be a better way than HTML/CGI, HTML/XML, Java applets etc.; WASM could be part of a solution, but not a solution in itself., as there should be standard UI elements etc.)

But the essay lays out the reality: For WASM to replace JavaScript, it needs to be better (in the sense of easy to adopt, solves a problem right now) every step of the way. That is not, as yet, true.

We will still be stuck with it forever for compatibility reasons

WASM instead of React? That does not even make sense.

Only if the tooling was half as good as Flash.