It’s remarkable how easy it is to rile up the American public. The latest bit of theatrics centers around a “communist” balloon that is either a spy device or a weather balloon that has drifted off course. Either way, this thing isn’t some sort of major threat to America.
Even so, it can be used as clickbait.
REMINDER: Japanese Used Balloons to Disseminate Chemical and Biological Weapons in World War II https://t.co/PigS5cuW2K
— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) February 3, 2023
That’s right, the commies may use the balloon to poison us, never mind how ludicrous this is on its face.
First, allow me to dispel a myth. The government in China is not communist. It is, at best, authoritarian crony capitalism. Marx would be appalled. His idea was to do away with capitalism.
Under Biden:
Pentagon tracks Chinese Spy Balloon for days over US & does NOT shoot it down.
Abandons Americans & $85 billion in US military equipment & arms in Afghanistan.
Won’t secure our border- 5+ million people invade.
The Biden admin is impotent.https://t.co/QUIDAUfOzx
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 3, 2023
Ms. Greene seems to have a problem with physics.
Business Insider explains:
Attempting to take out the high-altitude balloon with the air defense systems the US has is “very difficult,” it’s hard to engage it with fighter aircraft, and shooting it down also risks injuries and fatalities on the ground, explained Brynn Tannehill, a former naval aviator and senior technical analyst at the RAND Corporation think tank.
For instance, the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor cash cow has a maximum operating altitude of 50,000 feet. It is reported the ominous balloon is currently at 60,000 feet or above.
OK, so why not shoot a missile at the damn thing? Well, that would be extremely difficult. The USG military’s air-to-air missiles are not designed to operate at that altitude, primarily because the wings, fins, and tail cannot work effectively.
Moreover, according to a naval aviator, both surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles “aren’t designed to attack balloons because balloons don’t look like the kind of valid targets that they were designed to attack… They look more like a cloud or (anti-radar) chaff, and modern missiles are designed to ignore chaff.”
The corporate media, however, ain’t letting this one go. According to the Babylon Bee, Biden has surrendered to the commies.
Biden Announces U.S. Surrender To Chinese Balloon https://t.co/a6hqnwedhG
— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) February 3, 2023
Here we have a grandstanding senator (a common trait of narcissistic “public servants”) from Missouri. Eric Schmitt demands our tax dollars must be squandered on an “investigation” of the nefarious commie balloon. It’s another example of the endless, pointless, and wasteful partisan politics of the USG.
🚨BREAKING: I’m calling for an investigation and demanding answers from the Biden Admin. on why a Chinese spy balloon was allowed to hover over critical military infrastructure in Missouri and across the interior of the U.S. without any intervention. pic.twitter.com/c25ZEGKpWC
— Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) February 3, 2023
Speaking of narcissistic grandstanders. Here’s one who can’t seem to keep his mouth shut, even though opening it in the past has cost him millions of dollars. Well, at least Xi and the commies won’t take him to court for speaking his mind, which in the past was a cherished right of all Americans. Now it’s considered an excuse for white supremacists.
Alex Jones says a dozen Chinese balloons could wipe out America:
“They can detonate them over any targets they want.” pic.twitter.com/qiJvPDpEkG
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) February 3, 2023
Here we have yet another privileged blue checker pining for Trump. Earlier today, Trump suggested F-16s should cruise over China—you know, to just send a message that you don’t mess with the exceptional nation.
I miss having a strong leader that wasn’t scared of China or Balloons. pic.twitter.com/LC1nBE3DPI
— Terrence K. Williams (@w_terrence) February 3, 2023
It should be noted that Terrence K. Williams is a comedian, so maybe we should cut him some slack.
Twitter is an inexhaustible source of ridiculous demands that the balloon must be shot down pronto (few seem interested in investigating the feasibility of this stupid idea). I could post more examples, but what is the point?
The Chinese balloon is yet another distraction. It’s fear porn aimed at the ignorant.
Finally, in Ukraine, the possibility of nuclear war grows more likely with each passing day.
Reprinted with permission from Kurt Nimmo on Geopolitics.
