calodo2003
Flaming Full Member
Breathless reporting on MSNBC earlier about the downing.The media are going crazy over this balloon
Breathless reporting on MSNBC earlier about the downing.The media are going crazy over this balloon
So what would China have wanted to achieve with this? We know they have satellites. Why these balloon shenanigans?
Testing USA's air defence reaction times. Biden gave the order on Wednesday to shoot it down. So if they were ever at war they know they can send loads of balloons armed with nukes and have a few days before America can strike back.So what would China have wanted to achieve with this? We know they have satellites. Why these balloon shenanigans?
Source?Testing USA's air defence reaction times. Biden gave the order on Wednesday to shoot it down. So if they were ever at war they know they can send loads of balloons armed with nukes and have a few days before America can strike back.
"Biden on Saturday said he told the Pentagon on Wednesday to shoot down the Chinese spy balloon as soon as possible."Source?
Testing USA's air defence reaction times. Biden gave the order on Wednesday to shoot it down. So if they were ever at war they know they can send loads of balloons armed with nukes and have a few days before America can strike back.
Thanks. I wouldn't draw the conclusion that the US needs days to shoot it down. Surely they waited until the balloon was over water, instead of American land."Biden on Saturday said he told the Pentagon on Wednesday to shoot down the Chinese spy balloon as soon as possible."
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-says-us-is-going-take-care-of-chinese-balloon-2023-02-04/
I would imagine balloon technology has come a long way since WW1.Huh? They tracked the balloon from basically China. If they saw a hundred, I am pretty sure the reaction would be different. Also that would be an insane plan. The US would strike back instantly and with overwhelming force. Nobody is bombing with balloons, that barely worked in WW1.
Congrats to you guys over in the states for winning CWII
I would imagine balloon technology has come a long way since WW1.
This could just be a test balloon not equipped with the latest stealth tech as well
Really shooting it down at once it’s left the coast hasn’t achieved anything, other than raise moral. All the data the balloon collected was most likely transmitted back to China
Whatever gets you off I guess.Was fun to watching this in the gym
From a more historical perspective alone, I say Americans have a right to be mad when they have seen their own U-2 spy planes being unforgivingly shot down over enemy air space (Francis Gary Powers over the Soviet Union and Rudolf Anderson over Cuba) and one of their electronic surveillance planes forced to land in enemy territory (Hainan, 2001) while the Pentagon and their multi-million waste of money can't even do the same thing that Soviets and Chinese already did against undesirable intruders.
Tbh I always feel a bit for sorry Xi. Regardless of politics, the guy came from a peasant background, spent decades climbing through the ranks of the communist party during an era of mass reforms and now commands the second biggest world power. Yet it’s all resulted in him having to listen to Donald Trump or giving lectures to this guy
Like 21st century history really is cruel.
I mean if I was forced to live in a small peasant town from the age of 15 to my early 20’s, I would say that’s a peasant background.A very bad take from typical foreigners who know nothing about China. Yes, Xi suffered in the Cultural Revolution since his father was branded a "right wing anti-revolutionist", but he was never of "peasant background". His raise to the top was nothing but the result of cronyism and nepotism. Perhaps doing a simple Googling on "Xi Zhongxun" helps.
I mean if I was forced to live in a small peasant town from the age of 15 to my early 20’s, I would say that’s a peasant background.
The guy has put the work in, to get the top. It’s impressive regardless of his politics.
2.Who doesn't put "work in to get to the top"? If you are saying that "person A climbs to the top of a country, then he deserves my appreciation and respect", then doesn't Adolf Hitler, or even Donald Trump and Trudeau whom you mock deserve your appreciation and respect?
I mean if I was forced to live in a small peasant town from the age of 15 to my early 20’s, I would say that’s a peasant background.
Tbh there are NPR articles from the early 2010’s saying the same thing, it’s not a controversial opinion to hold. The guy has put the work in, to get to the top. It’s impressive regardless of his politics.
So an imaginary US response, is evidence of US escalation over Taiwan?!What's the betting that after China decried their balloon being taken down that the US retaliates in kind and exaggerates the findings of equipment and what it was doing.
This seems like an escalating sequence of events to justify stronger response regards Taiwan.
Someone on Reddit said this was done to distract Chinese nationalists after the US did a deal with the Philippines.Difficult to understand what the Chinese thought how this would pan out. They must have known it would be detected and would be shot down. Equally they must know that we know that they aren't in the 18th century balloon technology wise and all their explanations up to now are utter dross.
Weird behaviour.
Interesting. Difficult to see how this humiliated anyone but then again I don't read their spin on it.Someone on Reddit said this was done to distract Chinese nationalists after the US did a deal with the Philippines.
Not sure how credible that sounds to me. Maybe they wanted to humiliate the Biden administration before Blinken's now cancelled trip.
Apparently we were actively employing countermeasures during its transit over the US as well as studying it. One of the biggest factors in waiting til it was feet wet to shoot it down is that it offered us the better chance to retrieve the downed components. Citizen safety was not paramount.Really shooting it down at once it’s left the coast hasn’t achieved anything, other than raise moral. All the data the balloon collected was most likely transmitted back to China
Think a bigger fear was citizens finding parts and just keeping them. (I would).Apparently we were actively employing countermeasures during its transit over the US as well as studying it. One of the biggest factors in waiting til it was feet wet to shoot it down is that it offered us the better chance to retrieve the downed components. Citizen safety was not paramount.