Balloons and Baboons
A tale of stupidity
Fair warning, this is a rant.
The balloon fiasco ended exactly as I predicted, from a military standpoint. Now I’m gonna point some fingers. And while I lean left, y’all gettin’ a piece too.
Background: The Chinese launch a surveillance balloon of some sort, which finds its way over the United States after crossing a fair amount of the world. It’s traveling at approximately eleven miles above ground, depending on the terrain below. Being that it’s humongous ane likely poses a threat to those underneath it, the military advises the president to NOT shoot it down immediately. Said president, being of reasonably sound mind, listens to the experts and waits until it’s safely over water. At which point they bring it down.
Now there are a number of fair points about the strategic damage such a balloon could do. But even my lefty friends were freaking out over this. C’mon, people, it’s a balloon. They have satellites in orbit that cover that same track. The only advantage the balloon could really give them is a longer linger. Which is not trivial, but it’s mainly a pain for the folks on the ground who need to make sure it doesn’t see anything we don’t want it to. This was not a major incursion nor a major threat. Relax.
