U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon

Post by tshaddox » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 12:41 AM UTC

chitowneats wrote: post #20

neuralRiot wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m not in the defense industry neither know how the Chinese spy agency works but I guess there are more covert ways to spy than sending a 20ft ballon half way around the world.

One theory is that the Chinese know that. This could be them sending a message: "If you defend Taiwan, we can get over your heads cheaply and easily". The only casualties on the U.S. mainland during WW2 were Japanese balloons dropping bombs on the west coast. I doubt that symbolism was lost on the military or the Biden administration.

Post by itake » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 12:43 AM UTC

colinsane wrote: post #117

davidu wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure where your info is from, but this balloon was seen by the naked eye and all over social media. As someone who lives in Montana, many many people could see it. The idea that the USG prompted the publicity is unlikely to be accurate (would suggest a calculated social media psyop). Not impossible, but not likely.

there’s a bit of difference between it being spread as a meme online and then quietly fading into the background v.s. the President of the country ordering it to be shot down by a jet and then announcing said order to the public. just how close/far is this from “business as usual”? if this balloon were no big deal, i wouldn’t expect it to be escalated to the Commander in Chief. which tells me either (a) there’s (susp…

Post by chitowneats » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 12:44 AM UTC

tshaddox wrote: post #131

chitowneats wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One theory is that the Chinese know that. This could be them sending a message: "If you defend Taiwan, we can get over your heads cheaply and easily". The only casualties on the U.S. mainland during WW2 were Japanese balloons dropping bombs on the west coast. I doubt that symbolism was lost on the military or the Biden administration.

China has ICBMs with nuclear warheads. No one is confused about whether China has the ability to harm Americans on American soil.

Post by Dalewyn » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 12:48 AM UTC

pxc wrote: post #102

I am so tired of China being used to stoke American jingoism, of politicians making a contest of who is really 'tough on China' and, most horrifyingly, of seeing other USians online practically salivate as they fantasize about a war with China. It's some cold war boogieman horseshit. And it's depressing to watch here on Hacker News, too, any comments that question the beating of those war drums go dead. Yesterday I h…

Post by cavisne » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 12:48 AM UTC

nocsi wrote: post #47

In previous times, the US would ignore these balloons and quietly take them down. Instead they made a big deal out of it and milked it. Brilliant and opposite of what china expected