The Chinese balloon over the USA

posted by ptown_trojans_1

Sure shoot it down not knowing what it is and where it could land and hurt someone or destroy something on the ground...

In Montana? LOL.  

Also, they needed numerous days to figure out how to shoot it down?   Is that how low the bar is set for you and the DoD?  Certainly not for me.  I can't imagine you applying this same logic if China actually sent a bigger threat via the sky. 

Something tells me that not even you are buying the bullshit that you are trying to sell here. 

posted by majorspark
The question that will never be answered is why was is not detected and shot down before it ever endangered anthing on the ground.

According to Ptwon they needed nearly a week for the most powerful military in the world to figure out how to strike a balloon.

The real answer is they didn't want to address it during Blinken's visit to China.  Their plan was thwarted when it was exposed in to be a Chinese balloon. 

posted by like_that

In Montana? LOL.  

Also, they needed numerous days to figure out how to shoot it down?   Is that how low the bar is set for you and the DoD?  Certainly not for me.  I can't imagine you applying this same logic if China actually sent a bigger threat via the sky. 

Something tells me that not even you are buying the bullshit that you are trying to sell here. 

I dunno, looks risky.

If something got destroyed in Montana, would the rest of the country even notice?

Really shocked no one on this site posted this. 

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/3844511-chinese-balloons-flew-over-us-three-times-during-trump-administration-officials/amp/

posted by kizer permanente

Really shocked no one on this site posted this. 

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/3844511-chinese-balloons-flew-over-us-three-times-during-trump-administration-officials/amp/

I've mentioned twice already this has happened before.  Really shocked you didn't read that.

I'd also note a number of senior officials from the Trump admin have denied that story.  But I subscribe the same level of credibility as I did to all the former Obama officials saying Hunter's laptop was Russia disinformation.

Kind of surprised in the shoot it down no questions ask crowd. 

Do you not want to examine it, understand what it is?

I'm also pretty sure the air force had a tracking aircraft to block and monitor any signals that is coming from it. 

I'm sure they also checked for any radioactive portion of it. If it did pose an actual threat, I'm pretty sure they would have shot it down. 

Once they determined it didn't pose a threat and are blocking the signals, it is then a when to shoot it down.

There, it is a risk item. Yes, there is not much in Montana, but you do not know where exactly it will land, and why risk it? If you know you are blocking anything and it is not a serious risk, wait until it is over the ocean and knock it down. It's simple risk analysis.

I also agree it made no sense to cancel the planned China trip. 

posted by ptown_trojans_1

There, it is a risk item. Yes, there is not much in Montana, but you do not know where exactly it will land, and why risk it? If you know you are blocking anything and it is not a serious risk, wait until it is over the ocean and knock it down. It's simple risk analysis.

I generally agree with you, although it doesn't seem like we are going to be able to recover much of anything useful.  But maybe there wasn't anything useful that they cared to examine.

I'd hope we are sophisticated enough to predict where that would come down - I think a sophomore algebra student could probably figure that out within a square a mile.

posted by kizer permanente

Really shocked no one on this site posted this. 

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/3844511-chinese-balloons-flew-over-us-three-times-during-trump-administration-officials/amp/

Lol are you surprised tho?

posted by geeblock

Lol are you surprised tho?

Immediately after I reminded him I had already mentioned it twice?!?

It's a little concerning that you're an educator.

I wonder what these balloons are all about.  The Chinese aren’t stupid. They know full well a balloon over the US would be detected.  They’ve done it repeatedly knowing this.  

As a spy balloon, it just doesn’t make any sense. 

posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

As a spy balloon, it just doesn’t make any sense. 

That's what people are telling us, though I'm a little skeptical.  Satellites are probably 3-4X further away, at least, and so the sensors here are probably getting much better resolution.  Although I'm sure we were able to jam it, but not sure you could prove that (especially with the evidence broken into thousands of pieces and scattered along the ocean floor).

Rand Paul basically said this is not new and doesn't make much sense.  Not always, but he's often a pretty straight shooter, especially on matters like this.

I'm not sure what the point was, if any.  But when it comes to geopolitics who knows.  I think we can all agree that between the media and polarization of parties, it's a win-win for China regardless of how Biden responded.

Best I can come up with is the classic "pay no attention to the left hand".  China gets the US to focus on a distraction and chase it down a rabbit hole....

Maybe they’re just trolling with no real purpose to it and worst case scenario it just makes one political party mad at the other for how it was handled. 

It’s like you really don’t like your neighbor and he’s always arguing with his wife, so one night you sneak over and leave some empty condom wrappers on the front porch to see what happens. 

posted by gut

I've mentioned twice already this has happened before.  Really shocked you didn't read that.

I'd also note a number of senior officials from the Trump admin have denied that story.  But I subscribe the same level of credibility as I did to all the former Obama officials saying Hunter's laptop was Russia disinformation.

My bad.. I see now you shared this article or one similar.  oh wait….