About That Chinese Balloon

[Kathianne]

Any thoughts? I'm pretty sure it's not a strategic threat, but it certainly seems to be a sign of disrespect by Chinese, (which is more important to them than us, thus a larger demonstration of said disrespect).

The Pentagon spokesman seemed to be pushed out there in the effort towards 'transparency,' but not allowed to say much of anything.

[Mr. P]

I say we're fools if we don't take it out!

[fj1200]

I say we're fools if we don't take it out!

I can't imagine why we haven't taken it out already.

[Kathianne]

Hey! Blinken cancelled his planned visit with Pooh, about Russia/Ukraine. :rolleyes:

[fj1200]

Hey! Blinken cancelled his planned visit with Pooh, about Russia/Ukraine. :rolleyes:

Well that's getting tough with a foreign country that violated our airspace. So proud.

[Mr. P]

I can't imagine why we haven't taken it out already.

Leadership incompetence!

[icansayit]

I have learned the contents of that balloon is as much as two school buses in size. Would you like the air force to shoot it down over somebody's home, and see whether the scraps kill innocent people, or cause fires, or maybe China loaded it with MORE CORONA VIRUS germs they made?

If the U.S. is gonna take it out. MAYBE the good idea would be to destroy it OVER A LARGE BODY OF WATER?
I don't trust China any more than I trust BIDEN.
SO...if you had to make the decision yourself. WHAT WOULD YOU DO...Without thinking about WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN if you do.?
On the other hand. Knowing I'm just some old guy most people have no need to pay any attention to. Why listen to me? Since all of you are much smarter than I.?

[BoogyMan]

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/suspected-chinese-balloon-us/h_0e0eb6b2c35ab48ba61e4c64edef52aa

14281

[BoogyMan]

What the...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11712125/Explosion-sky-Billings-Montana-Chinese-balloon-spotted-U-S-airspace.html


Mysterious video of the aftermath shows a trail of smoke in the sky where the balloon was last spotted.

Dolly Moore, who took video of the scene, said she 'saw a jet go by so fast and then explosion in the sky.'

It comes after the US State Department called the balloon, which was traveling over U.S. airspace at 60,000 feet, a 'clear violation' of U.S. sovereignty, but said it wouldn't be shot down because it was flying over a 'number of sensitive sites.'...

[Kathianne]

What the...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11712125/Explosion-sky-Billings-Montana-Chinese-balloon-spotted-U-S-airspace.html

Not sure of the time frame here, but this a.m. the balloon was in the middle of country, nowhere near Montana any longer.

[BoogyMan]

Not sure of the time frame here, but this a.m. the balloon was in the middle of country, nowhere near Montana any longer.

Exactly. That is what makes this story so weird. Even the writeup points out it is where the balloon was, not is.

Just freaky.

[Kathianne]

Seems the 'official response' is that after some investigating, they cannot confirm the video, hasn't been other reports.

https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-and-regional-news/woman-claims-to-have-captured-an-explosion-in-the-sky-above-billings

[revelarts]

Don't Russians fly planes into our airspace from time to time?
Just checking my memory.

And since its a balloon, probably unmanned, Wouldn't it be a good idea to capture it intact. To see what it is exactly?

Plus, hopefully, there's been some coherent discussions with China behind the scenes about WTH they are doing.



And finally, as always,.... We've done far worse to other countries, but when it happens to us we tend to lose our collective 5hit for some reason.

Call me when they build a bridge into Alaska and start marching a billion troops into North America.

[BoogyMan]

I want to know what is up with the one over Latin America as well.

[Gunny]

I have learned the contents of that balloon is as much as two school buses in size. Would you like the air force to shoot it down over somebody's home, and see whether the scraps kill innocent people, or cause fires, or maybe China loaded it with MORE CORONA VIRUS germs they made?

If the U.S. is gonna take it out. MAYBE the good idea would be to destroy it OVER A LARGE BODY OF WATER?
I don't trust China any more than I trust BIDEN.
SO...if you had to make the decision yourself. WHAT WOULD YOU DO...Without thinking about WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN if you do.?
On the other hand. Knowing I'm just some old guy most people have no need to pay any attention to. Why listen to me? Since all of you are much smarter than I.?

Shooting it down before it got over CONUS would be ideal. They only has the World's largest ocean to notice it and do it over :rolleyes:

Seriously. Kathianne is correct. This is about embarrassing us which is much more important to them than us, and they've not only accomplished that, look how far they got into our airspace. Maybe next time it's not so "harmless". Given China's penchant for dabbling in bio weapons, it's a perfect delivery system. Especially if we're just going to stare at it like it's the Goodyear Blimp :rolleyes:

[Kathianne]

Well now that the balloon traversed the country from West to East, the military seems to have shot it down off the east coast of South Carolina. Not sure if the sea water will damage the contents. Sort of seems planned to me.

[icansayit]

Coming here has become as useless as being Joe Biden without his ice cream.

[Black Diamond]

Coming here has become as useless as being Joe Biden without his ice cream.

Biden is worthless with his ice cream. What you said was a good point. I just didn't have time to get on here yesterday.

[Black Diamond]

Shooting it down before it got over CONUS would be ideal. They only has the World's largest ocean to notice it and do it over :rolleyes:

Seriously. Kathianne is correct. This is about embarrassing us which is much more important to them than us, and they've not only accomplished that, look how far they got into our airspace. Maybe next time it's not so "harmless". Given China's penchant for dabbling in bio weapons, it's a perfect delivery system. Especially if we're just going to stare at it like it's the Goodyear Blimp :rolleyes:

Could be a test run to see how we react. or don't react if you prefer.

[revelarts]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FoDsV34X0AAosZe?format=jpg&name=small

[jimnyc]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FoDsV34X0AAosZe?format=jpg&name=small


How many of them violated China's air space though? Looks like one that I can see but would need the deets on all of them before passing judgement. And even some planes from all countries come close often but usually over the coast. Not sure how far out air space travels, if the same as international waters or not? Gunny or 'ol Salty icansayit would know best.

[jimnyc]

I have learned the contents of that balloon is as much as two school buses in size. Would you like the air force to shoot it down over somebody's home, and see whether the scraps kill innocent people, or cause fires, or maybe China loaded it with MORE CORONA VIRUS germs they made?

If the U.S. is gonna take it out. MAYBE the good idea would be to destroy it OVER A LARGE BODY OF WATER?
I don't trust China any more than I trust BIDEN.
SO...if you had to make the decision yourself. WHAT WOULD YOU DO...Without thinking about WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN if you do.?
On the other hand. Knowing I'm just some old guy most people have no need to pay any attention to. Why listen to me? Since all of you are much smarter than I.?

I agree while over land. But why didn't we detect the dang thing before it came into our air space? I honestly don't know how it would fall or if they could have planned somehow and successfully dropped it into open land areas. I assume it came from the pacific.

Been slow and I've been MIA in spurts here, so don't get offended for lack of replies at times. Over the years I probably started a few thousand threads that never got a single reply. Must be my cologne! :2up:

[jimnyc]

Perhaps destroyed now but what did it capture, if anything, and whatever was, likely was broadcast directly to China if so.

--

Cotton: ‘Humiliation Was Inflicted by Chinese Communists’ on Biden

Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) said on this week’s broadcast of “Fox News Sunday” that President Joe Biden allowing the Chinese balloon to fly over the United States was a “humiliation.”

Anchor Shannon Bream said, “The president’s supporters say this actually illustrates he is doing good job with China. An opinion piece in The Washington Post talks about the spy balloon as clumsy attempt by China. It shows immense capacity to blunder, tendency President Biden exploited, a series of humiliations on chief rival. They point to the embargo, out of china and Philippines expanding access. They say he is doing a good job.”

Cotton said, “Unfortunately, I think the humiliation was inflicted by Chinese Communists on the president.”

He continued, “We should have shot it down instead of letting it float across America on its merry way. The idea we would let this go all across America, a spy balloon, complete its spy mission before we shot it down, I’m afraid, is embarrassment to the United States, not to the Chinese communist who are constantly pushing the envelope, constantly probing to see how far they can get away with maligned actions.”

Cotton added, “I think they feel they probably got away with it here.”

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2023/02/05/cotton-humiliation-was-inflicted-by-chinese-communists-on-biden/

[Mr. P]

How many of them violated China's air space though? Looks like one that I can see but would need the deets on all of them before passing judgement. And even some planes from all countries come close often but usually over the coast. Not sure how far out air space travels, if the same as international waters or not? Gunny or 'ol Salty @icansayit (http://www.debatepolicy.com/member.php?u=3857) would know best.

12 miles from the coast.

[Kathianne]

Now what's pissing me off...

The administration is saying same happened, for less time but same, 3 times under Trump-BUT it was undetected! So, now they are telling us that the military, all our satellites, the air traffic controllers, our jets-commercial and military-cannot detect air balloons as big as 3 buses? WTF?

[SassyLady]

Now what's pissing me off...

The administration is saying same happened, for less time but same, 3 times under Trump-BUT it was undetected! So, now they are telling us that the military, all our satellites, the air traffic controllers, our jets-commercial and military-cannot detect air balloons as big as 3 buses? WTF?

How do they know it was 3 times if it was undetected?

[Kathianne]

How do they know it was 3 times if it was undetected?

Exactly. That is what's pissing me off!

[SassyLady]

Exactly. That is what's pissing me off!So, are you mad because they're lying and they're really wasn't 3 prior incursions?

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/not-true-can-refute-former-dni-ratcliffe-latest-confirm-no-spy-balloons-us-us-history-media-lied-video/

[Kathianne]

So, are you mad because they're lying and they're really wasn't 3 prior incursions?

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/not-true-can-refute-former-dni-ratcliffe-latest-confirm-no-spy-balloons-us-us-history-media-lied-video/

They are lying. Why? Biden is awful. I might wonder if it were just Trump saying such, but he was immediately backed up by Pompeo and two others, including another that no longer is fond of him. Then the administration says, "Oh, they were undetected." Yeah, right.

[SassyLady]

They are lying. Why? Biden is awful. I might wonder if it were just Trump saying such, but he was immediately backed up by Pompeo and two others, including another that no longer is fond of him. Then the administration says, "Oh, they were undetected." Yeah, right.
At any rate ... we now know it traveled across the states at least this one time before it was brought down. Why wasn't it detected over Alaska and brought down?

On another note. What's with the Chinese police stations in our cities taking care of Chinese nationals. And buying up chunks of land near military installations.

The Chinese are getting pretty ballsy.

[Kathianne]

At any rate ... we now know it traveled across the states at least this one time before it was brought down. Why wasn't it detected over Alaska and brought down?

On another note. What's with the Chinese police stations in our cities taking care of Chinese nationals. And buying up chunks of land near military installations.

The Chinese are getting pretty ballsy.

It was detected from the time it left China, the military already admitted such. Problem was for administration, they were keeping it secret, probably for Blinken visit. In Montana, it was spotted by farmer (I think) on ground who photographed and shared on media-went viral. Then it was acknowledged and the nonsense on 'debris falling' started. This administration, including Pentagon and State don't give a flying F about the people.

The Chinese police stations have been around forever, like Chinese schools. The reports on China land purchases also for years, just now starting to get the public's attention. This goes a bit hand-in-hand with Kagen article I posted about from WSJ. Americans are slow to see threats, but watch out when they actually feel threatened.

[icansayit]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FoDsV34X0AAosZe?format=jpg&name=small



Look at it this way. Think of the way some Democrats in Congress say crazy things intentionally. Then Immediately apologize for their Mistaken Words to pretend it was just an accident, or slip of the tongue.
That's how the Chinese are playing Biden, and all of his Puppet cronies behind the scenes as Unelected Bureaucratic Radical AMERICA hating Socialist/Commie pigs.

[Gunny]

Now what's pissing me off...

The administration is saying same happened, for less time but same, 3 times under Trump-BUT it was undetected! So, now they are telling us that the military, all our satellites, the air traffic controllers, our jets-commercial and military-cannot detect air balloons as big as 3 buses? WTF?

Didn't happen. At most, unreported. Trump has a hard-on for China and a big mouth. Not seeing it. It would be impossible for our military to not pick it up before it ever got even close to our border. Admin probably thought it was 3 bussloads of illegals :rolleyes:

I disagree with Cotton. This is not China embarrassing Biden. This is China embarrassing the United States of America. These politicians can't seem to get past their partisanship on anything, to include National security. That balloon didn't tool along on its merry little way over Joe Biden. It was our entire country.

Triumphantly claiming they shot it down like it was some great feat AFTER it had collected and transmitted any date. The MSM left-wingnut spin is absurd. And people will buy it.

[jimnyc]

Now what's pissing me off...

The administration is saying same happened, for less time but same, 3 times under Trump-BUT it was undetected! So, now they are telling us that the military, all our satellites, the air traffic controllers, our jets-commercial and military-cannot detect air balloons as big as 3 buses? WTF?

That's my thoughts exactly. WTF is gonna happen if missiles come across at us? Doesn't give me confidence when nitwit is making the decisions. IMO, this thing should have easily been detected on it's way and shot down before it got over our land.

[jimnyc]

Didn't happen. At most, unreported. Trump has a hard-on for China and a big mouth. Not seeing it. It would be impossible for our military to not pick it up before it ever got even close to our border. Admin probably thought it was 3 bussloads of illegals :rolleyes:

I disagree with Cotton. This is not China embarrassing Biden. This is China embarrassing the United States of America. These politicians can't seem to get past their partisanship on anything, to include National security. That balloon didn't tool along on its merry little way over Joe Biden. It was our entire country.

Triumphantly claiming they shot it down like it was some great feat AFTER it had collected and transmitted any date. The MSM left-wingnut spin is absurd. And people will buy it.

3 busloads of illegals falling from the sky... :lol:

I would have turned it into dust if I had a say in the matter. :)

[Kathianne]

That's my thoughts exactly. WTF is gonna happen if missiles come across at us? Doesn't give me confidence when nitwit is making the decisions. IMO, this thing should have easily been detected on it's way and shot down before it got over our land.

That's the thing, it was detected and followed from inception in China, the administration figured on hiding it, but civilian saw and recorded.

[jimnyc]

That's the thing, it was detected and followed from inception in China, the administration figured on hiding it, but civilian saw and recorded.

So many questions. If detected then why the hell allow it to continue forward as it did? Did they really think no one would notice, even at lengthy heights? Folks would have still detected or saw it. Stupid decisions and made us look stupid IMO. Trying to hide it is ridiculous. You hide it, they are successful in their mission and we are weaker for it.

[jimnyc]

Look at it this way. Think of the way some Democrats in Congress say crazy things intentionally. Then Immediately apologize for their Mistaken Words to pretend it was just an accident, or slip of the tongue.
That's how the Chinese are playing Biden, and all of his Puppet cronies behind the scenes as Unelected Bureaucratic Radical AMERICA hating Socialist/Commie pigs.

I would love to know if there was any communication initially with China before it even reached us?

[icansayit]

Based on my own years in Naval Communications. I am limited to express anything that might be construed as off limits.
So. With that in mind. I will remind everyone...the government DOES NOT tell all of us Everything, and Shouldn't.
The words of Now deceased DONALD RUMSFELD...Sec. of Defense for W. Bush...

"(paraphrasing) "YOU DON'T KNOW, WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW...YOU DON'T KNOW."

And IMO. It's absolutely THE BEST WAY IT SHOULD BE TODAY.
Imagine people just walking freely into the Pentagon, and picking up classified documents to take home, and give to CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS,
and the little old gossip down the street who just loves to say..."I KNOW SOMETHING YOU DON'T KNOW."
I made my statement earlier than they shot the Balloon down. Kinda RIGHT ON TARGET (but nobody paid any attention).
So. IF IT'S NONE OF OUR BUSINESS. There's a reason IT'S NONE OF OUR BUSINESS. End of STATEMENT.
And...I am in No Way defending anything SLEEPY JOE or his Pentagon pukes had to say. Other than WE'RE SCREWED.

[Kathianne]

More about the Chinese Balloon:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-balloon-used-american-tech-to-spy-on-americans-2e3f5039?mod=hp_lead_pos1


WSJ NEWS EXCLUSIVE

U.S.
Chinese Balloon Used American Tech to Spy on Americans
Preliminary U.S. findings show the craft collected photos and videos but didn’t appear to transmit them, officials say
By
Nancy A. Youssef
Updated June 29, 2023 12:00 am ET

The Chinese spy balloon that floated over the U.S. early this year was loaded with American-made equipment that helped it collect photos, videos and other information, U.S. officials said, citing preliminary findings from a closely held investigation.


Several defense and intelligence agencies, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, have analyzed the debris retrieved after the U.S. military detected and shot down the balloon nearly five months ago in an event that added fresh, unexpected volatility to the already fraught U.S.-China relationship.


That analysis found the balloon was crammed with commercially available U.S. gear, some of it for sale online, and interspersed with more specialized Chinese sensors and other equipment to collect photos, video and other information to transmit to China, the officials said. Those findings, they said, support a conclusion that the craft was intended for spying, not weather monitoring as Beijing has said.


The officials described the Chinese balloon, with its mix of off-the-shelf and specialized equipment, as an inventive attempt by Beijing at surveillance.

...