XI to Blinkin "Wouldn't you like to ride in my beautiful balloon?"

[Doc]

https://thehill.com/opinion/national-se ... l-warfare/

Biden’s ‘Sputnik moment’: Is China’s spy balloon political warfare?

A guy goes to a used car lot and tells the salesman that he has20k in his pocket because he desperately want to buy a car off of the lot immediately and then ask "how much it will cost"?
Sales man this is your lucky day !! This car is on special for $20,001 !! The guy replies but I only have $20k. Salesman: "Hey that's a nice shirt you've got there".....

The story that has been told is that the US knew about the balloon since it took off from China. Knew it already travelled over Alaska but because Blinken was so desperate to have a negotiation with the CCP Blinken advised Biden to ignore the balloon and hide it from the public.

While Blinken has been Secretary of State I have though he was not a particularly good one that he was not the worse secretary of State the US has ever had. But after this I see he is something akin to Wormtongue of LORD of The Rings. Not that he is a Chinese spy or anything just that he is a fool that should now resign. The White House said Biden wanted to shoot down the balloon but did not. I think I believe that is true.. But like Théoden is badly served by wormtongue Blinkin

[Nonc Hilaire]

Lighter than air craft usually fly low and slow, which is why they shine in aerial survey work. They are not precise flyers, but they are stable platforms.

It makes sense to launch from a location near where you want to survey. Truck to the launch site, inflate and bon voyage. Not controllable flyers over distance, they generally follow the air currents.

The ‘fly it from China to Montana’ story seems unlikely and sounds like misinformation. Why the Biden people chose this particular story, and why they waited until the balloon’s mission had been completed to intercept it are the big questions.

[Typhoon]

US Admin states that it is reviewing options over "Chinese spy balloon" - may invade Iraq . . . or Argentina.

[Heracleum Persicum]

.

What was the need to shoot down the "scientific balloon" once it passed US and was over the Ocean ?

[Typhoon]

And now a musical interlude . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpu5a0Bl8eY

Fpu5a0Bl8eY

[Heracleum Persicum]

1960 when Russians shot down U-2 spy plane over Russia, Nikita Khrushchev put the U-2 wreckage on display for all to see

China says this was a balloon for science

Why US not put the equipment China's balloon was carrying on display ?

There no secrecy in this .. equipment are china's and US has recovered them .. so, what is the problem putting all recovered stuff on display ?

Not doing so, strengthens China version that it was no spying balloon.

[noddy]

on the face of it , their is no real difference between a spy balloon and a weather balloon.

hi-res photography/sensing of the the land below in various wave lengths works fine for both roles.

also, it proves you dont *need* ICMB's and sattelites to cause mischief over someone elses country , it probably pays to think of the consequences of that in regards all the learned opinion on the capabilities of various countries rocket programs.

[Nonc Hilaire]

There is a difference. Weather balloons are designed to rise and gather telemetry on the way up.

The balloon in question is designed for maximum stability. Maybe photography.

I’ve heard about these being used for prospecting natural resources. They screen large areas for magnetic anomalies &c to decide where to send the doodlebugs with their ground penetrating radar. Never saw one, though.

[Heracleum Persicum]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64614098

US and Canada military shoot down new unidentified object
20 minutes ago

Becoming "hourly event" .. shot down over Yukon in north west Canada.

Cant be mad mullahs ..they not yet so far (technically)

Xi ? maybe

But

Putin might be sending signals from Arctic

[Doc]

1960 when Russians shot down U-2 spy plane over Russia, Nikita Khrushchev put the U-2 wreckage on display for all to see

China says this was a balloon for science

Why US not put the equipment China's balloon was carrying on display ?

There no secrecy in this .. equipment are china's and US has recovered them .. so, what is the problem putting all recovered stuff on display ?

Not doing so, strengthens China version that it was no spying balloon.

Maybe they are waiting to give it back to China by slamming it down on the desk of the Chinese UN ambassador.

[Nonc Hilaire]

1960 when Russians shot down U-2 spy plane over Russia, Nikita Khrushchev put the U-2 wreckage on display for all to see

China says this was a balloon for science

Why US not put the equipment China's balloon was carrying on display ?

There no secrecy in this .. equipment are china's and US has recovered them .. so, what is the problem putting all recovered stuff on display ?

Not doing so, strengthens China version that it was no spying balloon.

Maybe they are waiting to give it back to China by slamming it down on the desk of the Chinese UN ambassador.

Check the “shoot down” video closely. A separation charge dropped the payload 14 frames before the balloon self-destructed. The equipment was deliberately dropped in the ocean and the owners wanted to ensure it was not found.

[Doc]

1960 when Russians shot down U-2 spy plane over Russia, Nikita Khrushchev put the U-2 wreckage on display for all to see

China says this was a balloon for science

Why US not put the equipment China's balloon was carrying on display ?

There no secrecy in this .. equipment are china's and US has recovered them .. so, what is the problem putting all recovered stuff on display ?

Not doing so, strengthens China version that it was no spying balloon.

Maybe they are waiting to give it back to China by slamming it down on the desk of the Chinese UN ambassador.

Check the “shoot down” video closely. A separation charge dropped the payload 14 frames before the balloon self-destructed. The equipment was deliberately dropped in the ocean and the owners wanted to ensure it was not found.

I am not seeing it It could be the public video has too low a resolution but I don't see anything.

[Heracleum Persicum]

.

, Doc, this getting really funny


NYT
U.S. Shoots Down a Fourth Flying Object
The latest object was taken down over Lake Huron.

WASHINGTON — The United States shot down a fourth flying object over North America on Sunday, this one over Lake Huron in Michigan, U.S. officials said.

..

The incursions seemed to become so common that Biden administration officials have found themselves issuing private assurances that there is no evidence that they involve extraterrestrial activity. But officials also acknowledge privately that the longer they are unable to provide a public explanation for the provenance of the objects, the more speculation grows.

Zero doubt US knows who sending these .. but .. keeping quite

WHY ?


On the other hand

Could be this to scare Joe into "massive" budges increase for military .. smells fishy

[Heracleum Persicum]

.

Pentagon, State Department and NSC all keen to downplay China’s overflights
as specter of a ‘deep state’ deal rises

It is, for example, more than abundantly clear that these intrusions have been ongoing for at least a few years and have been systematically covered up. The only reasonable explanation for what amounts to a cover-up is to not end up in a confrontation with China.
..
The main question, however, is why is China so intent on surveilling US strategic bases and missile defenses?

The answer could be that China is either preparing a first-strike capability against the US homeland or is preparing to checkmate the US if it threatens to intervene in Chinese affairs, or both.
..
There is a broad consensus in the US that China’s overflights of US territories and US bases abroad (such as Guam) must stop, either by consent or through force.

Waiting for the other shoe to drop

[Doc]

.

, Doc, this getting really funny


NYT
U.S. Shoots Down a Fourth Flying Object
The latest object was taken down over Lake Huron.

WASHINGTON — The United States shot down a fourth flying object over North America on Sunday, this one over Lake Huron in Michigan, U.S. officials said.

..

The incursions seemed to become so common that Biden administration officials have found themselves issuing private assurances that there is no evidence that they involve extraterrestrial activity. But officials also acknowledge privately that the longer they are unable to provide a public explanation for the provenance of the objects, the more speculation grows.

Zero doubt US knows who sending these .. but .. keeping quite

WHY ?


On the other hand

Could be this to scare Joe into "massive" budges increase for military .. smells fishy

Nawh there is nothing fishy about it. These aren't balloons they are aliens sent to contact John Kerry to tell him he is an exceptional individual that should fly in private Jets.

[Heracleum Persicum]

Nawh there is nothing fishy about it. These aren't balloons they are aliens sent to contact John Kerry to tell him he is an exceptional individual that should fly in private Jets.

China says, 10 US balloons overflow China last one yr , and Trudeau says the balloon shot down over Canada was due to danger for Airlines hitting it (meaning spying BS)


https://www.cp24.com/news/object-over-y ... -1.6270598

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chi ... 023-02-13/


Reports are Many of these balloons last many yrs flow over North America AND China, all militaries knew and did not mind, it is routine

So

Why now these become an issue , why Blinken cancels his trip to China etc etc

Only reason probably fooling Joe as if suddenly big danger

AND

Fleece (again) poor Joe, and buy more "private Jets" ..

Private Jet manufacturer can't deliver fast enough

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerosp ... 023-02-09/

https://www.malaysiasun.com/news/273514 ... -over-2022

Poor Joe shafted, again

[Doc]

Nawh there is nothing fishy about it. These aren't balloons they are aliens sent to contact John Kerry to tell him he is an exceptional individual that should fly in private Jets.

China says, 10 US balloons overflow China last one yr ,

{/quote]

Bullsomething. If china found US balloons floating in its airspace it, unlike Biden, would have shot them down and screamed like hell about it when it happened.

[Heracleum Persicum]

Nawh there is nothing fishy about it. These aren't balloons they are aliens sent to contact John Kerry to tell him he is an exceptional individual that should fly in private Jets.

China says, 10 US balloons overflow China last one yr ,

Bullsomething. If china found US balloons floating in its airspace it, unlike Biden, would have shot them down and screamed like hell about it when it happened.

Until recently, it was "open sky" policy .. last 20+ yrs, Russia was flying reconnaissance flights over any parts of US to gather intelligence, same as US would fly intelligence flights over Russia .. similar arrangements am sure existed with China.

Chinese and US balloons over each territory, reports say, existed for years , probably with mutual understanding

That is why Pentagon did not react .. even Biden was not interested .. Biden had to do something when this was politicized

Poor Joe, he is played

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

also, it proves you dont *need* ICMB's and sattelites to cause mischief over someone elses country , it probably pays to think of the consequences of that in regards all the learned opinion on the capabilities of various countries rocket programs.

Yes, thinking this as well. Mischief has never been cheaper.

[noddy]

also, it proves you dont *need* ICMB's and sattelites to cause mischief over someone elses country , it probably pays to think of the consequences of that in regards all the learned opinion on the capabilities of various countries rocket programs.

Yes, thinking this as well. Mischief has never been cheaper.

balloons, drones and a 5th column doing vandalism and propoganda.

welcome to the new age of not quite peace, not quite war.

the trick is doing just enough mischief to not trigger a nuclear confrontation - handily, the rules for that are being thrashed out in the Ukraine right now.

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

also, it proves you dont *need* ICMB's and sattelites to cause mischief over someone elses country , it probably pays to think of the consequences of that in regards all the learned opinion on the capabilities of various countries rocket programs.

Yes, thinking this as well. Mischief has never been cheaper.

balloons, drones and a 5th column doing vandalism and propoganda.

welcome to the new age of not quite peace, not quite war.

the trick is doing just enough mischief to not trigger a nuclear confrontation - handily, the rules for that are being thrashed out in the Ukraine right now.

Reminds me of an "autumn of the modern ages" Age of the State quote:

What comes next, Big Brother? Maybe not. A funny thing happened on the way to the Total State. It began to fade away. Lukacs cites several reasons for this:

a) The impotence of technology. Large super-scientific States with massive arsenals found themselves in the position of “hunting bumblebees with an elephant gun.” And they no longer dared, as Napoleon had, to line up the cannons and fire on rioters.

b) The democratization of warfare. The resistance movements of WWII presaged popular warfare carried out by small private groups. It had already been proven that no State could prevent incursions by air. In 1970, Lukacs wrote that they would be unable to prevent foreign incursions by land. “I am not thinking only of guerrilla and commando raids,” he wrote, “I am thinking of the sudden migratory pressure of large populations, sloshing across frontiers.”[5] The result will be a blurring of the line between war and peace: fighting may diminish or intensify at times, but will never entirely cease. States will be unable to negotiate and enforce a peace because there will be no State authority with which to negotiate.

[noddy]

yep, Europe has been experiencing quite a bit of sloshing, much of it directed by mischievous forces.

the bad outcomes of the 5th column mischief will also increase the crackdown on free speech and movement, as the underlying fragility of all our critical infrastructure becomes more apparent.

blowing up gaslines, powerpoles, water pipelines, it only takes one person and a backpack.

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

Common sense argument against "balloon frequency theories" is that it's pretty hard to miss these balloons, everyday people should've been seein' them all the time if it was always happening.

------------

Not saying that I'm buying the above either, with its obvious counterarguments.

Frankly there is just too much missing information from the civilian side of things to make heads or tails of what is going on.

Methinks that it isn't even clear to the people in charge and, like everything, there are factions for what it all means involved in the horserace to define "the American response".

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

If the goal was to rile up the population and deflate (pun intended) an American feeling of impenetrability-- it was of mixed success.

[noddy]

so many areas of gray, so many plausible deniabilities.

for a start, all countries do send weather balloons up, all the time

http://www.bom.gov.au/faq/pdf/Balloon-b ... SEPT18.pdf

Worldwide, weather balloons are released from
approximately 1300 locations each day. The
Bureau releases about 56 per day, or about 20,000
per year, from 38 locations within Australia and its
offshore territories including Antarctica.