Balloons! A Sobering Exploration Of The Emergence - Topic

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Feb 12 2023 03:29pm

A sobering perspective by former CSIS director Richard Fadden. The emergence of an ever-growing number of high altitude balloons is disconcerting. Even if these objects prove to be harmless, they have had and they will continue to have an effect on international and national relationships between different groups of people and between governments.

Trust, even if this trust is solely to be able to do trade and to share in a variety of innovations/discoveries, is something which is eroding as quickly as our pale blue dot's glaciers. That is not good.

🎈

babun1024

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Feb 13 2023 06:09am

Any insider info of what is it about with balloons all over US being shot down?

jalapenos

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Feb 13 2023 07:41am

Quote (babun1024 @ 13 Feb 2023 07:09)

Any insider info of what is it about with balloons all over US being shot down?

From my little explorations, nothing yet. I know that at least one of the balloons and whatever its cargo is was found and is being analyzed. That is all that I have found.
What is fascinating is how much of a stir, including in me, these have created. Imagine if we send one of our Christmas, St Patrick's Day, and/or any other parade's balloons over China and Russia. A giant Snoopy or snowman with what looks to be like an antenna and solar panel array. :blush:

This post was edited by jalapenos on Feb 13 2023 07:42am

fender

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Feb 13 2023 09:16am

we've all heard by now that several "spy balloons" were recorded over american territory during the trump administration - he just decided not to do anything about it (not surprising given his personal business relations with china) and not inform the public, so i guess this has been going on for a while at least, and isn't a particularly rare event.
now the chinese are accusing america of having sent their own spy balloons (which wouldn't actually surprise me tbh). simple solution: just shoot them down as well. doesn't really matter who sent them imo.

jalapenos

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Feb 13 2023 04:15pm

Tiny update... Or, ought I to say a tiny non-update.
No one knows!
I am reminded of people who used to make crop circles and who would not tell anyone. People and communities would believe that these human-made designs were signs from a highly advanced alien intelligence. I am wondering if there are some peeps now who are having fun with riling up governments as well as citizens. Not knowing is a powerful catalyst. :wub:

The China-US mind-boggling balloon mystery in 61 seconds — by journalist Mattea Bubalo
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-64629499

Meanwhile

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Feb 13 2023 06:28pm

Do we have pictures of the smaller devices attached to the smaller "metallic" balloons ?
Thanks regards and let's nuke them all.

jalapenos

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Feb 13 2023 06:48pm

Quote (Meanwhile @ 13 Feb 2023 19:28)

Do we have pictures of the smaller devices attached to the smaller "metallic" balloons ?
Thanks regards and let's nuke them all.

From what I have read 'til now, these last few and smaller balloons, one of which was cylindrical in shape and another an odd octagonal shape, have been shot down, but not found.
Looking forward to reading about what these newer one are and from where they may have come from.

While we wait for new news, here is a loved art piece of two very powerful aliens playing chess...

Meanwhile

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Feb 13 2023 08:06pm

Quote (jalapenos @ 14 Feb 2023 00:48)

One had an attached payload, this is all i got reading on it. Problem is these balloons ( the small ones) cost less the missiles destroying them so i see only 2 solutions:
- using new cheaper destruction method (others balloons, or lasers)
- nuke the source

jalapenos

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Feb 13 2023 08:32pm

Quote (Meanwhile @ 13 Feb 2023 21:06)

Problem is these balloons ( the small ones) cost less the missiles destroying them

You raise a great point. What about using a drone launched from the ground or even from a helicopter and which is equipped with mechanisms which pierce or capture the balloons. Mind you, even the small unidentified balloons are still big. But a drone with some piercing tools or grappling mechanisms. In that way, nothing but fuel and time are spent.

An example:

This post was edited by jalapenos on Feb 13 2023 08:33pm

Black XistenZ

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Feb 13 2023 08:49pm

Quote (fender @ 13 Feb 2023 16:16)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P43wVDiZs8k

we've all heard by now that several "spy balloons" were recorded over american territory during the trump administration - he just decided not to do anything about it (not surprising given his personal business relations with china) and not inform the public, so i guess this has been going on for a while at least, and isn't a particularly rare event.
now the chinese are accusing america of having sent their own spy balloons (which wouldn't actually surprise me tbh). simple solution: just shoot them down as well. doesn't really matter who sent them imo.

Fake news.
Also, even if it were true that Chinese spy balloon had been registered during the Trump admin (which, again, is an unproven claim by "anonymous sources in the intelligence community") - why did it take the Biden admin 2 full years to do anything about it and inform the public? In this scenario, Biden would actually look even weaker and more incompetent than in the one where Chinese spy balloons were first detected a few weeks ago and he maybe hesitated a bit too long to start shooting them down.

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