Yes, I’m going from 0 to 60 right out of the gate. The obvious question is, Why would China allow a spy balloon to travel blatantly over the continental United States? Why is this time different? Is it different? I keep hearing way too many “expert” idiot pundits — e.g., Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Philip Mudd — claim that this Chinese spy balloon is nothing to worry about because China has spy satellites that have better capabilities, and we spy on them. Really? How can anyone make that assessment without understanding the precise equipment attached to the balloon? This is an argument I keep repeatedly hearing: Their satellites are better, so why fret over a balloon, especially from the political far left and what is apparently Chinese apologists from America’s own intelligence alma mater (see names above). What a f***ing shortsighted moronic assertion. Why presume this? The assumption should be that the balloon was launched with the desired capabilities to augment their satellite intelligence gathering.
Another good question is, Why would China conduct such a manifestly non-covert operation? Of course, there is no way this balloon would have traveled across the U.S. unnoticed. There are only two explanations. First, China believes America would do nothing because they apprehend Biden and his administration as being weak and would rather not ruffle feathers. This actually almost happened. Second, it’s a provocation. Bingo! (What is not a legitimate explanation is that the balloon was an errant piece of weather-collecting equipment, just to be clear.)
There we have it. It was actually part test and part provocation. How would the U.S. handle the situation? And how can China use a U.S. response to further its political agenda? So, China, in its formal response, has opened the door to escalation, “China will resolutely uphold the relevant company’s legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time reserving the right to take further actions in response.” Some may claim that we played right into China’s hands by shooting their spy equipment down. To that, I say you can’t play into someone’s hands by coercion. We had no other choice but to destroy the balloon. This has never happened before; there has never been an occasion where Chinese spy kit has leisurely floated across America. So, you’re G.D. right that this is an escalation to provoke us. And as for those arguments of whataboutism, that all countries spy on each other, I say this: So what? Just because everyone does it, we should allow China to do whatever it wants? F***ing B.S. ridiculous speak. If we ever sent a spy balloon over the heartland of China, then I would expect them to shoot it out of the sky much quicker than we did with their spy apparatus over America!
General Mike Minihan, who as head of Air Mobility Command oversees the U.S. Air Force’s cargo and tanker fleet warned, “I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me we will fight in 2025 [with China]. Xi secured his third term and set his war council in October 2022.” I ignored this story when it first leaked, believing it was a prognostication a bit too far-a-field, but now this guy is looking like a f***ing G.D. genius. I’m going one step further: I think the war has already started. This balloon episode was China’s first shot. America, as usual, is a day late and a dollar short when it comes to apprehending the enemy. As usual, we are reactive. China has been invading our country for years. We have allowed students and workers to operate here as spies. We seemingly look the other way and protest lightly when they steal our technology and intellectual property here and abroad. We enable them to buy up our land, equipment, and property. And we allow them to install their spy technology in-country — don’t get me started on TikTok.
China has found our weakness: Capitalism! And they are exploiting us. How else would they have achieved such success? American corporations want cheap labor, so they produce in China, and China forces U.S. corporations to give up their intellectual property in exchange. Americans sell their capital to China all in the name of capitalism and get-rich-quick, never giving national security a first, second, or third thought. Everything is in the name of wealth, so we as a nation simply give our sovereignty away for cheaper products and higher profit margins. The cold war with America started over a decade ago, and it’s about to get hot, but at least our tchotchkes are cheap! “Made in China.” America’s three favorite words! Welcome to stupid, stupid America!