Earlier quoted context omitted.
Americans will measure with anything except the metric system.
1/40,000,000 of the Earth’s circumference does not make sense to me, but the foot does. (As does the school bus.)
[deleted]
US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast
671–680 of 864 posts
Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast
#672Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'd rather my own government spy on me than China. I'd rather Hannibal fucking Lecter be able to see me through my webcam than China.
Why, though? Your own government has far more power over you and far more reason to be interested in you than China ever would (unless you're a prominent critic of China, politically connected, or involved in military intelligence or something like that). I mean I don't want anyone spying on me, but I'm less worried about China targetting me than the Czech government (where I live) or the UK one (where I'm from).
Your own govt isn't going to sabotage its infrastructure in war with an adversary.
Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast
#673Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your own government has a much higher ability to affect your life than China does, so what you're saying is completely irrational. Not that it's OK for the Chinese to spy on us, mind you, or to claim that they don't have nefarious purposes.
I'd rather be spied on by a western democracy than China. Our intelligence agencies are out of control but there's still better mechanisms for reigning them in than China.
> I'd rather be spied on by a western democracy than China.
Why? What has china done that's worse? Did they nuke a country? Wipe out entire races of people? Did those nasty chinese invade dozens of countries? There is nothing inherent in a western democracy that makes it good.
> Our intelligence agencies are out of control but there's still better mechanisms for reigning them in than China.
There are no mechanisms for controlling any intelligence agencies. All intelligence agencies around the world are state actors. No law applies to them. Ask the people the intelligence agencies murdered, drugged, experimented on, etc.
Unless you are chinese, you are far better off being "spied on" by the chinese than a western democracy because the chinese don't have any jurisdiction over you. This is all common sense. China isn't going to arrest you and put you in jail. A western democracy will though.
Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast
#674Earlier quoted context omitted.
Technically 4th, since there were 3 other Chinese spy balloons during the Trump presidency that they didn't even know about until later.
[flagged]
The Pentagon showed during the whole Afghanistan situation that they are perfectly comfortable making Biden look bad to the press. I see no reason why they would lie to run cover for him now.
Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast
#675Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your own government has a much higher ability to affect your life than China does, so what you're saying is completely irrational. Not that it's OK for the Chinese to spy on us, mind you, or to claim that they don't have nefarious purposes.
You can bring your own government to account for what it does. You can do nothing about what what China does.
By the same logic, the chinese government can't do anything to you, but your own government can arrest you, persecute you, execute you, etc. You'd have to be insane to prefer to be spied on by your own government rather than china.
Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast
#676Earlier quoted context omitted.
How much does a weather baloon cost? ...compared to a F22 flight, a missle + all the logistics? If it's cheap enough, there will probably be youtubers and tiktokers buying them en-masse just "for the lulz".
I heard rumors that during the bosnian war they were making fake SAM sites using microwave ovens with the door taken off. Get them to fire an air-to-ground missile at a device you got from the junkyard and an extension cord.
Microwaves transmit on a frequency nowhere near missile systems and are not modulated in any way resembling a missile fire control system, but cool story.
ECM gear in US warplanes can classify a system based off its emissions and people think they're fooled by a microwave oven?
Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast
#677"unknown object flying" Pretty sure we have a well-known acronym for that...
Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast
#678Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'd say the Soviets absolutely shot down that U2 in large part to prove that they could, and that to some degree at least, the US was flying those planes over to prove that they could. There's a school of thought that says the US won the cold war by convincing the Soviets to bankrupt themselves trying to keep up with the arms race. Now I don't necessarily think that fully explains things, but I do think there's a lot…
It’s interesting because there’s no real evidence that the US was intentionally using that strategy.
It only works if you have more money than the other side, anyway.
Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast
#679"unknown object flying" Pretty sure we have a well-known acronym for that...
Yeah: "UOF"
Re: US jet shoots down unknown object flying off Alaska coast
#680Is there a reason F-22s are being used to take these balloons down? Is it to take advantage of a training opportunity? I would think less advanced aircraft may be more cost effective to operate.
Yes, there is a reason. The F-22 is an integral part of the US Integrated Air Defense System for the homeland. Any foreign engagement by air of the US homeland will first be met with F-22s.
homeland