Im pretty impressed that it made it all the way across the continent in a couple days, i had no idea high altitude balloons could move that fast.
U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon
331–340 of 1001 posts
Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon
#332I 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…
> You know, that time we rushed headlong into two useless forever wars Don't say it like that. Say it like as it is: "... rushed headlong into murdering 1 million people to rob their oil". Because that's what it was. And until people start calling it as it is, this kind of thing will keep repeating. ... And yeah, recently the US Congress arranged $500 million to anti-China propaganda, so you will see a LOT more of su…
Also notably, the US 5th fleet defends freedom of navigation in the Gulf, which is mostly about Oil, and China is the #1 recipient of Oil! Funny, that.
Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon
#333Earlier quoted context omitted.
It’s ironic to see a South Korean say this when all you need to do is look across the border to see what a Chinese supported alternative looks like.
The United States carpet bombed North Korea, destroying 90% of all structures in the country, killing 300,000 in the immediate bombing run, then sanctioned them into the stone age. The relative poverty of North Korea is not a consequence of Chinese support.
Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon
#334Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes. Most every one of those invasions was preceded by international diplomacy and coalition building. China/Russia dont care for the UN or building consensus with allies. They are willing to just go on the word of a supreme leader. We might not like the outcomes, but the US does accept that the international stage is governed by rules. That is why a country like canada feels no threat from the US wheras every countr…
I don’t think people in central and South America, Vietnam, the Middle East, and so on were happy when diplomacy and coalitions were built against them to instate dictatorships and/or kill millions. America satisfies its allies. Those Allies are happy to be the enemies of China and Russia for financial benefits and some border protection . Who, despite your comment, do build consensus with their allies and they’re co…
Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon
#335I 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…
In the above post, you could substitute the word China with Germany and Cold War with World War I, and this quote could have been written verbatim by the American First coalition - who had good points going into World War II, but missed the big picture. At some point you have to defend independent countries, stand up for human rights, etc.
China's actions show no respect for any of its neighbors. Their government persecutes people based on ethnic and religious beliefs. They feel that the entire world is out to get them, but they refuse to respect democratic norms that they agreed to with the United Nations. They refuse the most basic levels of transparency. Leaving critics to fill in the gaps on questions such as genocide and the pandemic. Anyone who points out that fact is immediately branded a sinophile.
Meanwhile China is propping up Russia by buying it's exports at a time the Russians are committing genocide in Ukraine.
Even what few democratic norms that existed have been wiped away and is being replaced by a cult of personality.
May I humbly submit that you are concerned about tensions coming from the wrong country?
If china agrees to respect its neighbors, follow human rights standards, and respect toleration of people who do not worship at the church of the Party, the friction will disappear. Ironically, America was strongly pro-china going into World War II shortly after that. It's not a stretch to see that resume.
However, their literate makes it very clear that they view China as the one true civilized state and that Europe and America must be humiliated and destroyed for china to regain its rightful place at the center of the world.
Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon
#336Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon
#337I 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…
As a taiwanese who lurks on hacker news for many years but when I saw this post I had to make an account. You are dead wrong, China is an enemy of the free world, pure and simple. South Koreans and Ukrainians would agree with me here. Especially since China has declared no limit friendship with russia
Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon
#338All that to say, I could not avoid this. Everyone has told me about this and the whole thing is just silly.
Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon
#339I 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…
As a taiwanese who lurks on hacker news for many years but when I saw this post I had to make an account. You are dead wrong, China is an enemy of the free world, pure and simple. South Koreans and Ukrainians would agree with me here. Especially since China has declared no limit friendship with russia
There are a lot of countries Americans might consider bad. But the news media isn't subtly and constantly hinting that we might want to go to war with them. The China rhetoric is starting to sound like the WMD justification and prep drumbeat that they used to hype up the American public about the inevitability of war with Iraq.
Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon
#340So they waited until the balloon was over sea. This raises the question: why didn't the military see it coming and destroy it before it crossed the border?
This isn't the first balloon with equipment on it that has overflown US territory (which should also put to rest the 'rogue weather balloon' theory). China has been doing this ever since Trump started levying import taxes on Chinese goods. This particular balloon was brazen enough to be loitering over military targets for some time. It makes sense to do a shoot down over the ocean so you can have a better chance to r…