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Earlier quoted context omitted.
This wasn't the military. It was DHS, who is lead by the cosplaying cowboy hat lady, so this sort of incompetence should be completely expected.
Really making you wonder why does DHS have direct access to this hardware?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Really making you wonder why does DHS have direct access to this hardware?
It's pretty directly relevant to "homeland security", anti-terrorism, etc. I wouldn't say that's the problem. Make no mistake, the actual drone terrorism is coming. I guess you could say that only the actual military should handle it, but... Why?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Customs and Border Patrol is not the military. They weren't "afraid" of it, their job is to control the border. They do have laser gizmos, that's what they used.
>their job is to control the border Thank god they’re here defending us from rogue party balloons. Where would we be without their vigilance?
The rate of return on this is phenomenal. A 53" balloon costs $9.99. You could shut down all large and medium hubs in the US for $629.37/day. The asymmetry is astounding and I'm surprised we don't defend against this kind of attack more efficiently.
I'm equally surprised we don't fend off these rampant goblin threats too! More pragmatically, such a system would cost multiple millions, and would take years to actually stabilize in a manner that would recover the fictitious costs to shutting down the airports with gaps. (i.e. I'm surprised you so easily bought into the 500k figure) All because a bunch of idiots lost track of their one balloon, once? The asymmetry…
I'm surprised you saw it in my comment. It's reminiscent of an airport seeing a would be drone.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's pretty directly relevant to "homeland security", anti-terrorism, etc. I wouldn't say that's the problem. Make no mistake, the actual drone terrorism is coming. I guess you could say that only the actual military should handle it, but... Why?
Nuclear weapons are also directly relevant to "homeland security" (at least as a deterrent), yet I doubt many would be in favor of putting them under DHS as well.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
>their job is to control the border Thank god they’re here defending us from rogue party balloons. Where would we be without their vigilance?
I think it's clear they were mistaken, I don't really think the sarcasm is adding to the conversation.
More alarmingly, the laser weapon was deployed before the FAA actually shut down the airspace: https://apnews.com/article/faa-el-paso-texas-air-space-close... I'd say these trigger-happy clowns chasing tough-guy optics are going to get innocent people killed, but then they already have -- multiple times.
(Less alarmingly but more personal: my personal prediction to this effect, expressing distrust about statements like this in real time, got flagged right here on HN because apparently our leaders lying to our faces about news relevant to our community is "politics" and unseemly to discuss.)
More alarmingly, the laser weapon was deployed before the FAA actually shut down the airspace: https://apnews.com/article/faa-el-paso-texas-air-space-close... I'd say these trigger-happy clowns chasing tough-guy optics are going to get innocent people killed, but then they already have -- multiple times.
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That was a long-standing set of bad routes that was going to kill someone eventually.