Chinese Spy Balloon

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1872walker
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In reply to redcrayon • 2:20p, 2/4/23
redcrayon said:
Stringfellow Hawke said:
redcrayon said:
We can't just shoot stuff down and endanger civilians. That debris can kill people and destroy property.


Since when does the govt care about its people?
Believe it or not, the military doesn't want to kill civilians.

Some of you need to take a step back.


You do know that we also have an ocean to our West. If by some reason our intelligence agencies did not pick this thing up before it approached land, then that's a nightmare scenario that I'd prefer to not entertain.
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JB!98
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In reply to dead • 2:21p, 2/4/23
AG
dead said:
Just sarcasm, my bad
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agent-maroon
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In reply to redcrayon • 2:21p, 2/4/23
AG
redcrayon said:
mike0305 said:
I haven't seen any specifics on where balloons have historically flown over, have you? Do you know the specifics of the altitudes at which prior trips travelled, perhaps it operated at lower altitudes at night where it wouldn't be seen?

My point is the only reason we are aware is the public finally found out about it and broke it. The Trump admin did nothing in the past. Both are facts. The guy on Fox speaking to a malfunction is pure speculation.
Can you provide a link to this happening during the Trump admin and doing nothing? "Facts?" You sure?
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dead
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In reply to aggielostinETX • 2:22p, 2/4/23
MarathonAg12, infamous supporter of Democrats and their policies
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Pumpkinhead
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2:22p, 2/4/23
AG
The funniest thing about this entire thing to me was officials feeling the need to ask the public to please not try to shoot the balloon down with their firearms while it floated across their state.

I'd like to think common sense would be not to go out in your backyard and start shooting with your rifle at something 10 miles high in the sky, but apparently we can't assume that.
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Robert L. Peters
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2:23p, 2/4/23
To me shooting down the balloon after it left is akin to George going back to the meeting and eating shrimp to say jerk store.
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TyHolden
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2:24p, 2/4/23
AG
Looks like it's going to land in the ocean off the coast of SCAR. We need all boats in the area to grab whatever they can!
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redcrayon
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In reply to 1872walker • 2:24p, 2/4/23
AG
1872walker said:
redcrayon said:
Stringfellow Hawke said:
redcrayon said:
We can't just shoot stuff down and endanger civilians. That debris can kill people and destroy property.


Since when does the govt care about its people?
Believe it or not, the military doesn't want to kill civilians.

Some of you need to take a step back.


You do know that we also have an ocean to our West. If by some reason our intelligence agencies did not pick this thing up before it approached land, then that's a nightmare scenario that I'd prefer to not entertain.
I'm aware. Thanks. Again, the military is not in the business of killing civilians if they can avoid it.
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Stat Monitor Repairman
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In reply to zag213004 • 2:24p, 2/4/23
zwhag2010 said:
Not a Bot said:
Just realized the F-22 just got it's first air to air kill.

It was an effing balloon.
That pilot gonna paint a balloon on the side of his aircraft
hey fair enough, a kills a kill.
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MarathonAg12
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In reply to redcrayon • 2:25p, 2/4/23
redcrayon said:
aggielostinETX said:
MarathonAg12 said:
1872walker said:
MarathonAg12 said:
1872walker said:
redcrayon said:
We can't just shoot stuff down and endanger civilians. That debris can kill people and destroy property.


As if we have never made trade offs to personal liberty and safety in the name of national security. If the ballon belonged to "far right ultra mags white supremacists" this would have been over days ago.


Dumb take


Fine. Make a case on why this balloon should have been allowed to enter our airspace, much less take a leisurely tour over much of our country and it's strategic defenses.


This threat to national security and the balloon's capabilities did not outweigh the risk of damage to civilian infrastructure and life.

Many minds debated this for days. Many rational and present minds who have years of experience.


Carry that water.
I'm about as far from a Biden admin supporter as you can get and he's right.


God forbid users who spent sometime in the military and who have sat in on the analysis of threats bring some rational opinions
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redcrayon
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In reply to MarathonAg12 • 2:27p, 2/4/23
AG
MarathonAg12 said:
redcrayon said:
aggielostinETX said:
MarathonAg12 said:
1872walker said:
MarathonAg12 said:
1872walker said:
redcrayon said:
We can't just shoot stuff down and endanger civilians. That debris can kill people and destroy property.


As if we have never made trade offs to personal liberty and safety in the name of national security. If the ballon belonged to "far right ultra mags white supremacists" this would have been over days ago.


Dumb take


Fine. Make a case on why this balloon should have been allowed to enter our airspace, much less take a leisurely tour over much of our country and it's strategic defenses.


This threat to national security and the balloon's capabilities did not outweigh the risk of damage to civilian infrastructure and life.

Many minds debated this for days. Many rational and present minds who have years of experience.


Carry that water.
I'm about as far from a Biden admin supporter as you can get and he's right.


God forbid users who spent sometime in the military and who have sat in on the analysis of threats bring some rational opinions
Not everything is like the movies.
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fredfredunderscorefred
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2:27p, 2/4/23
AG
This admin and the people in charge of defense probably spent more time debating which pilot to assign the task based on diversity and inclusion than deciding what to do. That's the type of morons we have in charge now
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Pumpkinhead
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2:28p, 2/4/23
AG
There probably are a few prepper/survivalist types in Montana who will be hiding in their bunkers even more enthusiastically now because of this balloon scare.
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Stringfellow Hawke
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In reply to redcrayon • 2:28p, 2/4/23
AG
redcrayon said:
Stringfellow Hawke said:
redcrayon said:
We can't just shoot stuff down and endanger civilians. That debris can kill people and destroy property.


Since when does the govt care about its people?
Believe it or not, the military doesn't want to kill civilians.

Some of you need to take a step back.


Right… when you literally have a commander in chief that says, what is an AR-15 going to do against an F-15. You need to wake up.
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bmks270
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In reply to fredfredunderscorefred • 2:29p, 2/4/23
AG
fredfredunderscorefred said:
This admin and the people in charge of defense probably spent more time debating which pilot to assign the task based on diversity and inclusion than deciding what to do. That's the type of morons we have in charge now


These balloons make a great distraction for our military. Who knows what the Chinese are really doing, but whatever it is these balloons are great cover. When eyes are on the balloon, no one sees the real threats.
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mike0305
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2:29p, 2/4/23
Bloomberg article:

Ballons

Relevant passage, not sure how Trump national security officials who weren't aware could know if Trump was briefed on it:

One top national security official from the administration of former President Donald Trump said none of the Chinese spy balloons were near sensitive sites or had payloads as large as this one appears to carry. Other senior Trump national security officials said they were not personally aware of intelligence on any Chinese surveillance balloons over the United States during Trump's four years in office and do not believe Trump was made aware.
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Its Not Rocket Surgery
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2:30p, 2/4/23
AG
Fox News showed a highly zoomed in view of the shoot down and it looked like the sensor package may have separated from the balloon. Solar arrays look like they went all over the place, but the central structure may have been more or less intact. Now, what that looks like when it hits the water…
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nortex97
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2:30p, 2/4/23
AG


Not that it matters, but Paul Sperry is hardly a conspiracy theorist. Sure, the FBI/Swallwell wanted him de-platformed, for telling the truth about Chinese spies, but…
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justcallmeharry
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In reply to nortex97 • 2:30p, 2/4/23
S
nortex97 said:


Not that it matters, but Paul Sperry is hardly a conspiracy theorist. Sure, the FBI/Swallwell wanted him de-platformed, for telling the truth about Chinese spies, but…
If you think I am a liberal, you are incorrect. Assume sarcasm on my part. Sorry if something I post has already been posted.
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aggielostinETX
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2:30p, 2/4/23
AG
So it seems the former military guys here all agree that we should not have shoot it down prior to this. Why did we even let it get here?

This seems like a massive **** up by our military to allow it to even get over our air space. Explain that.

That's what I mean by carrying the water. Y'all seem to be defending, poor performance and bad decisions.
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mike0305
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2:31p, 2/4/23
Also, I've voted rep my whole life. Just don't like BS from either side.
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pressitup
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2:32p, 2/4/23

Pop goes the yu sh


.........and if you wanna hear God laugh, tell him your plans.
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redcrayon
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In reply to mike0305 • 2:32p, 2/4/23
AG
mike0305 said:
Bloomberg article:

Ballons

Relevant passage, not sure how Trump national security officials who weren't aware could know if Trump was briefed on it:

One top national security official from the administration of former President Donald Trump said none of the Chinese spy balloons were near sensitive sites or had payloads as large as this one appears to carry. Other senior Trump national security officials said they were not personally aware of intelligence on any Chinese surveillance balloons over the United States during Trump's four years in office and do not believe Trump was made aware.
So not facts?
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Stat Monitor Repairman
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2:32p, 2/4/23
This may have been discussed, but why the solar array the size of three school busses?

Why did the balloon need that much power? Seems excessive.

Seems like the objective would be to capture it and see what was going on with it.

Who knows?
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evan_aggie
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2:33p, 2/4/23
AG
Dry run to see if they can get over our airspace and release covid-20?
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Pumpkinhead
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In reply to bmks270 • 2:33p, 2/4/23
AG
bmks270 said:
fredfredunderscorefred said:
This admin and the people in charge of defense probably spent more time debating which pilot to assign the task based on diversity and inclusion than deciding what to do. That's the type of morons we have in charge now


These balloons make a great distraction for our military. Who knows what the Chinese are really doing, but whatever it is these balloons are great cover. When eyes are on the balloon, no one sees the real threats.


Pennywise the Clown tactics 101
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redcrayon
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In reply to bmks270 • 2:34p, 2/4/23
AG
bmks270 said:
fredfredunderscorefred said:
This admin and the people in charge of defense probably spent more time debating which pilot to assign the task based on diversity and inclusion than deciding what to do. That's the type of morons we have in charge now


These balloons make a great distraction for our military. Who knows what the Chinese are really doing, but whatever it is these balloons are great cover. When eyes are on the balloon, no one sees the real threats.
Not all eyes were on the balloon. This isn't how the military works.
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Cromagnum
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In reply to Stat Monitor Repairman • 2:34p, 2/4/23
AG
Stat Monitor Repairman said:
This may have been discussed, but why the solar array the size of three school busses?

Why did the balloon need that much power? Seems excessive.

Seems like the objective would be to capture it and see what was going on with it.

Who knows?


Have you seen how inefficient solar is? That thing was definitely using power to transmit Intel back to China and even had the ability to maneuver.
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2NU
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2:34p, 2/4/23
Biden in Ft. Meyers Florida:

'No One F***s With A Biden' Says President To Fort Myers Beach Mayor During Florida Visit

The People's Republic of China just did.
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Eliminatus
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In reply to aggielostinETX • 2:35p, 2/4/23
AG
aggielostinETX said:
So it seems the former military guys here all agree that we should not have shoot it down prior to this. Why did we even let it get here?

This seems like a massive **** up by our military to allow it to even get over our air space. Explain that.

That's what I mean by carrying the water. Y'all seem to be defending, poor performance and bad decisions.


Pretty sure most military guys here were saying shoot it down in Montana at the extreme latest. Including myself. This was such a failure of our government that I am still trying to process it.

And it wasn't our military. Our civilian leaders pick the targets and when to shoot. Military just pulls the trigger. Been this way for generations.

HTH clear some things up for you.
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TequilaMockingbird
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2:37p, 2/4/23
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TexAgs91
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In reply to redcrayon • 2:37p, 2/4/23
AG
redcrayon said:
We can't just shoot stuff down and endanger civilians. That debris can kill people and destroy property.

You have no idea how few people live in the areas it's flown over do you? But that doesn't stop you from gracing us with your nonsense.
"Freedom is never more than one election away from extinction"
Fight! Fight! Fight!
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aggielostinETX
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In reply to Eliminatus • 2:37p, 2/4/23
AG
Eliminatus said:
aggielostinETX said:
So it seems the former military guys here all agree that we should not have shoot it down prior to this. Why did we even let it get here?

This seems like a massive **** up by our military to allow it to even get over our air space. Explain that.

That's what I mean by carrying the water. Y'all seem to be defending, poor performance and bad decisions.


Pretty sure most military guys here were saying shoot it down in Montana at the extreme latest. Including myself. This was such a failure of our government that I am still trying to process it.

And it wasn't our military. Our civilian leaders pick the targets and when to shoot. Military just pulls the trigger. Been this way for generations.

HTH clear some things up for you.


That honestly does help. But I would assume just like in my job when I present issues and choices to leadership, I also present what I think is probably the best solution. They usually listen and act on that. Having known about this for a week, though, makes it seem like we didn't know what the **** we were doing.
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Aggie95
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2:38p, 2/4/23
AG
Did you see the plume? What a disaster for the environment...
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Pumpkinhead
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In reply to aggielostinETX • 2:39p, 2/4/23
AG
aggielostinETX said:
So it seems the former military guys here all agree that we should not have shoot it down prior to this. Why did we even let it get here?

This seems like a massive **** up by our military to allow it to even get over our air space. Explain that.

That's what I mean by carrying the water. Y'all seem to be defending, poor performance and bad decisions.


They shot it down so it would fall in water off the East coast near Norfolk where a bunch of Navy water recovery assets are. Yes, they clearly decided to wait to do that. And anybody opining they definitely made a mistake okay you slept in a Holiday Inn Express last night and know for sure that was the wrong approach. Everybody has a right to their opinion.
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