Chinese water balloon

[Psalms]

Only the Chinese know the particulars of their antics. I think they have more going on in the U.S. than publicly known, and we know for a fact that the Biden family has numerous deals with them

[perrykneeham]

Feb 6, 2023 12:42:41 GMT flatandy said:

What mission? We now know that the debris field was 10 miles wide. Even in the more sparsely populated bits of the country that could have landed on someone. Or if it was in the Rockies, they’d never find the debris. Shooting it down over the ocean seems the right call. I do wonder why they missiled it rather than puncturing it more gently and getting it to float down.

Guns can be a bit iffy at altitude.

I suppose the other factor we haven't considered is that the Yanks must have seen this baloon coming so, to a degree, it's a bit performative. It's quite possible that they wargamed this and allowed the baloon to come so that they could read what it was signalling and give it duff readings.

[flatandy]

Apparently at least three balloons floated into US airspace under the Trump administration (and weren't shot down), so it would be likely they've wargamed and planned for this.

[voice]

See what I was saying about wild and stupid conspiracies from the right, that one psalms is wittering on about has been doing the rounds for days.

Apparently this is not the first such balloon from China, Trump covered up the fact 3 flew over during his time. Obviously utter silence from the idiot right.

www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-06/us-didn-t-know-about-chinese-balloons-during-trump-until-later

[perrykneeham]

I wonder if the previous balloons had described courses which were consistent with a baloon in a constant altitude. These would probably have been seen as normal and no different to weather balloons used by all countries and therefore no big deal.

These balloons may have been a different proposition: huge, durable and controllable. The sodding great solar array is a bit of a clue.

If the Yanks saw that the balloon was being "steared" then that would change the proposition.

[moggyonspeed]

In an attempt to perhaps make future balloon flights by China less threatening, maybe they should consider folding them, fairground-style, into the shape of a dog, an elephant, a giraffe or even a panda.

What heartless b*st*rd would have the balls to shoot that f*ck*r down on prime-time TV?

[Psalms]

I would

[perrykneeham]

Feb 6, 2023 17:03:41 GMT moggyonspeed said:

In an attempt to perhaps make future balloon flights by China less threatening, maybe they should consider folding them, fairground-style, into the shape of a dog, an elephant, a giraffe or even a panda.

What heartless b*st*rd would have the balls to shoot that f*ck*r down on prime-time TV?

Conversely, the US could say that whatever balloon was sent up sort of resembled a schoolchild. It would be shot to ribbons the second it crossed the twelve mile limit.

[mids]

Or they could make it look like a black architect.

[perrykneeham]

That "weather" balloon .....

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64548140

60' tall. I meant to say earlier that the Yanks probably also set the conditions for where the shoot down occured. You can be fairly sure they were waiting with a catcher's mit and the current search is pantomime.

[voice]

quite surprising how large the debries field is, suppose falling so far things spread out a bit. And a 60' tall balloon must be a hell of the lot of material.

[ootlg]

Who needs weather balloons anyway?

[Psalms]

The Chinese - as a plausible explanation.

I wonder if and when they will recover the mechanical parts - the information gathering device . . interesting if they just happen to not find it ( as a favor to the Chinese )

[voice]

Is there anything you idiot right wingers can't turn into a stupid conspiracy?

[happyhammerhead]

Not really, in a world where some believe soy-based burgers turn men into women...

[perrykneeham]

"soy-based buggers turn men into women..."

The Left.

[voice]

nah, just another stupid conspiracy started on the right and believed by the idiot squad on the right. As has been said, to the right, its culture wars all the way down.

www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/02/why-men-are-afraid-soy-will-turn-them-women/605968/

[Psalms]

Feb 7, 2023 14:48:48 GMT voice said:

Is there anything you idiot right wingers can't turn into a stupid conspiracy?

There are so many plausible idiot actions by Democrats - anything is possible (let's see them produce the balloon's gondola)

[wetkingcanute]

the best response...if response is needed

[voice]