Alleged Chinese Spy Balloon Hovering Over Montana

[Andrew NDB]

This is seriously scarier than anything happening in Russia since they developed hypersonic nukes years ago. This is most likely testing the waters to see what happens if they go full throttle in Taiwan. Worse, if they want to entertain something more preliminary.

[Roseangelo]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Second one reported crossing Latin America. Yeaaah...def starting to look less accidental.

Well, it never looked accidental.

[frank_one]

How do they know it's coming from China?

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by frank_one

How do they know it's coming from China?

Because China has freely admitted it, for starters. But they're saying it's an errant weather balloon.

[Coola Yagami]

The Chinese must be laughing at how stupid we are by now.

Trump mighta been an idiot, but he was a reactionary idiot they didn't want to cross. Kinda have the feeling either they wouldn't be pulling this **** outright or Trump would have had those balloons dealt with by now.

[frank_one]

What if.. it's actually just a weather baloon?

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by Coola Yagami

The Chinese must be laughing at how stupid we are by now.

Trump mighta been an idiot, but he was a reactionary idiot they didn't want to cross. Kinda have the feeling either they wouldn't be pulling this **** outright or Trump would have had those balloons dealt with by now.

There wouldn't be a war in Ukraine either, yet here we are. Some folks were tired of eating well and had to ruin it for the rest of us.

Originally Posted by frank_one

What if.. it's actually just a weather baloon?

Two "errant" weather balloons in two days?

[Galactus]

The reason they didn't destroy it was surely that they were worried that it might harm people in the area. I strongly suspect they were concerned about more than just debris falling but that the thing may have been designed to cause maximum damage if destroyed.

I think we can all agree that there very little chance that this is a weather balloon that simply got blown off course. The idea that this woudn't have happened if Trump was still president is silly, most world leaders treated him as a joke. His relationship with China could be summed up that he would whisper to Ping "look man I have to keep up appearances and act like I'm being tough on you in public but y'know we're secret best friends, right?". Objectively he took no stronger line against China than his predecessor and since leaving office he has been nothing but complimentary about Ping and China. I haven't heard what he makes about this but if he wants to show support for the US he and Ivanka might think of drawing all their money out of Chinese banks and stop having all their crap being made there.

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by Galactus

The idea that this woudn't have happened if Trump was still president is silly

It's not that it wouldn't happen. It's that it didn't happen. No Chinese spycraft, no Russian invasions, no inflation, no high gas prices and cost of living the world over. You can slander and distort facts and make stuff up all you want, everyone was around for those four years and everyone remembers. Even those who won't admit it as a matter of principle. But by all means, keep at it. Whatever makes you happy, I guess. Too bad for all those dead Slavs in the process.

[Vegita-San]

Originally Posted by ChosenOne

It's not that it wouldn't happen. It's that it didn't happen. No Chinese spycraft, no Russian invasions, no inflation, no high gas prices and cost of living the world over. You can slander and distort facts and make stuff up all you want, everyone was around for those four years and everyone remembers. Even those who won't admit it as a matter of principle. But by all means, keep at it. Whatever makes you happy, I guess. Too bad for all those dead Slavs in the process.

don't forget the marines left behind! not too mention all the other **** that's happened. hope we survive another year.

[The Deadman]

Originally Posted by frank_one

What if.. it's actually just a weather baloon?

2 weather balloons just happened to get blown off track and one ended up in the US and one ended up in Latin America? Come on dude...

[The Deadman]

There's one apparently hovering in Canada now too
https://globalnews.ca/news/9457135/c...n-us-airpsace/

[ChosenOne]

At this rate, I predict there'll be another one over the Southwest before the weekend is out.

[IndigoErth]

Canada now, too?

Three sounds kinda unusual if just a weather balloon? Though I DO find it really bizarre that if it is surveillance related why on Earth in an era that has sneakier options would you use something as obvious, attention grabbing, and easy to destroy as a BALLOON? What is this, the 1800s?

That's the part that sits weird with me and has kept me from feeling too alarmed over that.

I mean, for all we know the Chinese government could actually be clueless and embarrassed and now actively threatening a bunch of college students for a project gone wrong. lol

Either way it sounds like it was headed to the coast this morning so hopefully they can take it down soon, if not already, and update us on what was really up with that.

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Canada now, too?

Three sounds kinda unusual if just a weather balloon? Though I DO find it really bizarre that if it is surveillance related why on Earth in an era that has sneakier options would you use something as obvious, attention grabbing, and easy to destroy as a BALLOON? What is this, the 1800s?

That's the part that sits weird with me and has kept me from feeling too alarmed over that.

Could be them seeing how far they can push the envelope. Which is reason enough to feel alarmed.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by ChosenOne

Could be them seeing how far they can push the envelope. Which is reason enough to feel alarmed.

While that did cross my mind, you'd think China, who isn't exactly stupid, would know that repeating it or doing something more would end the patience for it immediately.



edit: Where are those storms and tornadoes when we need them. A "nice" tornado to just say "f*** this" and destroy it. (Unless this is higher than cloud level...)

[ChosenOne]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

While that did cross my mind, you'd think China, who isn't exactly stupid, would know that repeating it or doing something more would end the patience for it immediately.

They might feel the same way about America and Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, making this (in their very particular worldview) the same and a sort of payback. Problem is, it's not even remotely the same. Good thing cooler heads will prevail, or China would end up with a war on their hands.

[ChosenOne]

I mean, it's not like those three countries are big military or nuclear powers. Costa Rica in particular literally has no armed forces... So why would China be spying on them? Could it be that the crazy bastards are formulating a plan for invading the US via the Southern border in case a war with China ever breaks out over Taiwan?

[Mayhem]

Part of me can see it as letting loose a bunch of monitoring balloons and seeing how the air currents and streams take them. But in the current climate, it’s very suspect especially after Thailand announced last week they are allowing US military operations to return to the islands, so the US now pretty much will have a ring of monitoring stations enclosing the South China Sea and China itself.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by ChosenOne

I mean, it's not like those three countries are big military or nuclear powers. Costa Rica in particular literally has no armed forces... So why would China be spying on them? Could it be that the crazy bastards are formulating a plan for invading the US via the Southern border in case a war with China ever breaks out over Taiwan?

Or just a flyover country on the way to other targets of interest in the other two.

But where did that one go... Has it also reached the ocean or is it still roaming over land.