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So, why a balloon instead of a drone? | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon"
] |
>
Don’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon? | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?"
] |
>
Great. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well??? | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?"
] |
>
Just shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting. | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???"
] |
>
Why does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??
“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”.
Everything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world. | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting."
] |
>
Balloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team. | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world."
] |
>
Perhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down. | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team."
] |
>
We need pyro balloons to counter this | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down."
] |
>
It's ballooning out of control now... | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this"
] |
>
The Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.
Latin America is within US sovereignty now, wow. | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's ballooning out of control now..."
] |
>
Imma up the blinken on em | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's ballooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow."
] |
>
What if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting... | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's ballooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em"
] |
>
Imagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's ballooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting..."
] |
>
Even ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true. | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's ballooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites"
] |
> | [
"“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's balooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true.",
">\n\n“Sources told CTV News that a smaller object may have been released from the balloon that might pose a risk to planes.”\nThe plot thickens.",
">\n\nBottom line is, we don't know what these ballons are doing, and China is lying. We don't know how many there are, or where. China has been encroaching on Taiwan, India militarily. Chinese ships have invaded fishing waters around the globe. China has mining contracts in Afghanistan and across Africa. \nI think the Chinese economic miracle has created a monster.",
">\n\nAm I missing something? \nCould be irony, but I wouldn't call the Chinese economy a miracle. I haven't seen anything in the last decade from Pooh Bear that would leave me to believe he's anything other than another Putin, flailing at western powers as their country's slowly collapse in on themselves. The balloons are a joke from a country that is becoming one.",
">\n\nFrom a country that had famines 70 years ago to a country thats just 1 generation behind Taiwan in chip manufacturing. You really dont see any changes?",
">\n\nNo homelessness and high speed rail makes me very frustrated at America's government/media. China does a LOT wrong, but let's not ignore how America has done nothing to improve the life of the average person in the last 20 years. We are headed toward serious problems if something doesnt change. Spending less on military to build public transit wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Rent control wouldn't be bending the knee to China. Universal healthcare wouldn't be bending the knee to china. Our media focusing on our issues at home with attention to the actual causes seems unlikely to ever happen when Tucker is the biggest show on television, and that has me worried about the next decade.",
">\n\nAfter having visited Japan just this last month... our country is letting us down in a variety of ways. Whatever is keeping your average American from rioting in the streets (seriously... there's a ton of reasons: healthcare, wages, treatment of citizens, police inaction unless they are shooting up innocent civilians, the list goes on) must be REAL good to keep everyone's ass on the couch.",
">\n\nI wonder this everyday lol. It has to be some kind of social conditioning. We live in a world so far detached from reality it’s like the entire country is a big TV show.",
">\n\nPersonally, I think it's due to our size (literally in both senses). This is a much larger discussion, but it makes no sense for our country to be THIS big. Our wants and needs are vastly different region to region and sometimes even state to state. \nThe only reason we're still locked in is because the rich states subsidize the poor ones.",
">\n\nAs long as food and drink are readily available its hard to unite behind a cause for mass rioting. I often wonder why we don't experience Shinzo Abe scenarios with a country full of guns combined with such a massive wealth disparity. Both parties have done an incredible job focusing on divisive issues which attract our attention. It helps when one party is legitimately insane.",
">\n\nThe attacks on politicians have already begun. One in NJ just died after being shot in her car.\nBut that's the R attacking the L.",
">\n\nIt’s just my Shein order",
">\n\nOhh that’s why it’s off track",
">\n\nPack it up boys and girls and everyone in between or outside the binary, reddit solved anotha one.",
">\n\nI could be skeptical of the first balloon only because the idea of air current - but for 2 to be located as a \"oopsie\" - no way Find a space to safely deflate.",
">\n\nThe first balloon was found to be steering itself. Balloons don't accidentally do that.",
">\n\n“We will get Aunt Peggy’s cookie recipe once and for all.”",
">\n\nIt's her Apple Brown Betty and the secret ingredient is horse manure.",
">\n\nMinh has a better recipe",
">\n\nAdd nutmeg!",
">\n\nfurious scribbling\nOkay, how bout this one? 🧁",
">\n\n\"Just monitoring the weather\"",
">\n\nThat’s no moon. That’s a space station.",
">\n\nThat's no balloon. That's a spy station.",
">\n\nThe local news coverage of these balloons is cracking me up. I feel like it's the national equivalent of half the small towns fire station trying to get a cat out of a tree. \nVery Pawnee Indiana\nThe news have no idea how mad they're supposed to be about a balloon floating above the 18 people who live in Montana, and the military seems to want to use this for fundraising so they can finally get those anti-weather balloon guns. \nSince this isn't going away today or anything, I can't imagine how the multi day 24-hour news cycle is going to try to get people to care. It will be interesting to learn what a balloon expert looks like and their thoughts on the matter.",
">\n\nOh no! What if it.... they put the satellite in space with the 10,000 other satellites Just like it? \nDrops the satellite for fun?\nI don't understand why this is so serious",
">\n\nSounds like the beginning of a horror movie where the balloon drops or reaches ground level one way or another and releases a massive virus or some shit",
">\n\nChapter 1 of a Zombie apocalypse novel.",
">\n\nThere s always two of them!",
">\n\nno more, no less",
">\n\nWe should send one back in the shape of a dragon",
">\n\nI'm sure they will bring it down intact when it's over the ocean. Need to see that shit.",
">\n\nIf they don't, then that's when we need to start criticizing.",
">\n\nIt'll all be OK guys. There monkeys being stolen from zoos, and I have a feeling they'll be equipped with darts",
">\n\nThe future is history",
">\n\nAtleast make an effort and give it some sky blue camo",
">\n\n99 red balloons go by",
">\n\nWhy can't they pop a hole in it, then let it fall slowly, then capture the equipment ?",
">\n\nInteresting article from Forbes.\n\nBringing down the balloon may be difficult as it is highly resistant to available weapons and is located in the stratosphere, far above the altitude of airliners.\nStratospheric balloons are very large, with NASA's standard balloons having a volume equivalent to over 195 Goodyear blimps.\nThe balloon envelope is thin and made of plastic material and it is unlikely that puncturing it would bring the balloon down.\nPrevious attempts to bring down large balloons have been unsuccessful. For example, in 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon was hit by more than 1,000 rounds of cannon fire and a volley of rockets, but it continued to drift.\nInterception aircraft may be able to hit the small gondola of the balloon, but a failed attempt would be a public relations disaster.",
">\n\nWe apparently haven't figured out how to fight giant balloons yet.",
">\n\nIf aliens come in giant balloons we are doomed.",
">\n\nYou see “Nope?”",
">\n\nThat movie was insanely good",
">\n\nIt was ok",
">\n\nIt was bad.",
">\n\nChina already playing victim.\nYou really can't make this up. \"We always respect international law and it's the US making us look like the baddies over a minor mistake of a civilian balloon that accidently hovers over key military sites and is accidently correcting itself when wind tries to push it along\"",
">\n\nIf this balloon is so critical to national security and secrecy, why isn't it taken down by now? Imagine whining about a floating balloon just so you can raise money for the military complex.",
">\n\n\nso critical to national security and secrecy\n\nSource?\nI haven't seen where this is critical to national security, the opposite actually that it's not a major security risk to US intelligence.",
">\n\nLook to see if Christopher Robin is hanging off it. Incase Xinnie the Pooh is looking for Honeypot...",
">\n\nAre we sure it's not a \"V\" first contact like situation?",
">\n\nAliens flying a battle bus? Maybe we're more akin to a batrle royale prelude",
">\n\nDon’t shoot ‘em down. Trap them shits and read the info available",
">\n\nIt’s about time the world sees what China is doing. Y’all are making a big deal out of the balloon while all your data is being given to the Chinese government by Chinese companies like tencent by law. They own a big part of Reddit you know?",
">\n\nSays the person typing on reddit who probably shops at Walmart too",
">\n\nYes 😭 It’s almost impossible to avoid it, which is the problem. I use Snapchat, Spotify for example and all of them have the same issue as reddit. \nThankfully I haven’t got a Walmart for hundreds of km",
">\n\nSo anyways I started blastin",
">\n\nShoot ‘em down. Let’s get this show on the road",
">\n\nMaybe I’m just not up to date on foreign affairs but what are they spying on? Farmers, cars driving on highways, people living day to day life? I don’t get it.",
">\n\nAir Force bases would be my guess. Malmstrom AFB in Montana is one location where they maintain the minuteman III ICBM’s (inter-continental ballistic missile), part of our nuclear deterrence strategy. But again, that’s me just assuming stuff, nothing official.",
">\n\nYa as someone who doesn’t understand this stuff, it sounds like some BS world leader pissing contest lol",
">\n\nPanama Canal Authority gonna be upset they missed a transit fee.🇵🇦",
">\n\nAnnnd... Here's how we usher in WW3. Great time to be alive.",
">\n\nChina always doing China shit",
">\n\nI highly doubt that it's designed to spy on anyone. Almost all phones and electronic components are made in China, if they wanted to spy on anyone, they'd do it that way. We no longer live in the 50s, spying balloons make no sense. At best it's just some lost weather analysing equipment and at worst it's full of some new bioweapon that will erase humanity in a few years. But think about it, if they wanted to release a bioweapon into the world. There would be like a million better ways of doing it. So yeah.",
">\n\nSeems to me the simplest guess of its purpose is exactly what it’s achieving…pandemonium. It worked for Russia, who spent a helluva lot more on Republican politicians than China spent on a balloon. \nWhy would any adversary invest in any weapon against us other than simple internet fuel for crazy people? It’s the only thing necessary to keep this country in mortal hysteria and constant bickering.",
">\n\nIt may very well be Operation: The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street.\nThey may be testing how long Americans will stay complacent in the event of obvious foreign transgressions in a time of inept government. Right now, a heavily armed population is realizing how vulnerable they would be to a simple Trojan weather balloon. A population fractured by civil war that can't trust its militarized police. When you're a powder keg, all it takes is a spark.",
">\n\nGo touch some grass jesus christ",
">\n\nin times like these the most important thing for us to do is panic and catastrophize",
">\n\ninflation in china must be worst then ours.",
">\n\nI'm thoroughly entertained by the idea of open espionage. Just have a shady dude walking around with \"SPY\" on the back of his uniform jacket just walking up to people asking invasive questions.",
">\n\nThat's called: social media",
">\n\nAre the Feds watching the Coca Cola plants around the country?!?! Let’s not forget, people, these folks like to play jokes. If the taste of our beloved national beverage changes, we know who to blame!!!!!",
">\n\nI love how the US said they were afraid to shoot it down over Montana because the debris might hit civilians… Montana is about 95% open range with a ranch home about every twenty miles.",
">\n\nMaybe the debris of a biological fall out...\nthe plot really thickens...",
">\n\nYup… and I wondered if somehow they were trying to see the equivalent of “who picks up the package”…",
">\n\nJust a thought.. \nA nuke can weigh in at just a couple hundred pounds. What if a nuke was put onto one of these as it passed over a military installation, a major city, or D.C.? \nCould a nuke be disguised as something else such as surveillance equipment and then released over a target?\nWould there be enough time to take it out as it falls from 60,000 feet? Could this happen undetected? \nJust thinking. Just becuase it hasn't been done before doesn't mean that it couldn't happen for the first time today. The attitude of \"no one would ever dare to do that\" or \"that couldn't happen to us\" has been just the approach that has gotten us in trouble before. Disregarding or shrugging something off as \"no way\" has came back to bite us in events such as Pearl Harbor or cockpits of commercial airliners not being secure prior to 9/11.",
">\n\nMAD still exists",
">\n\nMad doesn't exist if they drop something 10 times or more the explosiveness as the \"2nd\" tsar bomba that was designed yet never detonated because there wasn't a way to save anyone dropping it. Instantly fuck up more than half the country and destroy all the main silos in one swoop. Anyway, yeah, I'm just saying, it's extremely doubtful.",
">\n\nThankfully that's not how nukes or US nuclear deterrence work, like, at all.\nI'm just going to ignore the super-giga-ultra nuke that wipes out all ICBM silos at once because it is physically impossible to exist.\nBut the entire purpose of the nuclear submarine fleet is to maintain MAD in the event that all land-based nukes are somehow magically wiped out instantly, because they can stay hidden and launch from anywhere without warning.",
">\n\nI know, but there's that kind of erie thing like, people were talking about that being bullshit when phone predictions were made such as having a computer in the pocket, is an absolutely giant technological new bomb so out of the realm of possibility? Or an advanced targeted bioweapon? Although not likely at all based on what we know, I still remain humble to such a thing.",
">\n\nI think they're getting data on weather patterns for aerosol releases of foreign substances.",
">\n\ni dont think weather patterns are exactly something thats difficult to come across lol",
">\n\nLmao, yeah pretty sure that is openly mapped already",
">\n\nMight be a plan to infect America like the Japanese had in WW2 when it is brought down.",
">\n\nYeah because its not like we have nuclear armed submarines with subsonic weapons stationed all around China or anything in case of a deadhand scenario or something",
">\n\nDid everyone freaking out about these balloons forget the Google Earth exists?",
">\n\nGoogle Earth doesn’t have ground penetrating radar that can see what’s hidden underground.",
">\n\nWhy send a balloon to do that? You have no control over it. Why send a device like that into a country who doesn’t trust you anyway with no real idea where it will go specifically? \nIt would be easier to activate a sleeper cell living here in the US to attach it under a car and go for an off-roading adventure.",
">\n\nReports are that they do have some control over it because it’s changed directions on its own.",
">\n\nThey don’t think twice about shooting us but a fucking balloon that’s up to no good and they want to wait and see.",
">\n\nChina has kick ass spy satellites. Has anyone considered that these things might be\n…\n…\nweather balloons?",
">\n\nAre weather balloons maneuverable?",
">\n\n$200B spent on the Reagan’s Star Wars program to develop fancy space lasers. Canceled. Forty-three years later and we can’t stop a simple balloon from entering our airspace.\nI don’t know about you guys, but I’m more sure now than ever that the US Government’s plan is to just “let them all die.”",
">\n\nWe could have destroyed the balloon at any time.",
">\n\nI’d like to hear your thoughts on how they would have accomplished this so easily. SAMs can cruise at that altitude, but the likelihood of them hitting a target at 60k feet is low due to the lack of control surfaces. F22s can’t fly that high. A U2 spy plane might stand a chance of reaching an altitude high enough to engage, but they don’t have any armaments. The US Army has 60 kW and 300 kW lasers that would work once it was over land, but then there’s the possibility of the debris crashing into someone’s house. The Navy has 30 kW lasers that are good to 5 miles, but the balloon is at 11.3 miles.\nDon’t get me wrong — I’m no fan of Reagan. The reason they cancelled the Star Wars project back in the 80s was due to an agreement with the USSR to not weaponize space… which is exactly what is happening now anyway. I’m quite certain the US Military detected this balloon when it was way out over the Pacific. Apparently, they didn’t have a viable option to take it down before it entered the US mainland, and now that it is here their hands are tied. Makes you wonder how effective they’d be in a real situation involving an ICBM.",
">\n\nProbably would have done it similar to how we just took it out - fighter and air-to-air missile.\nThe balloon entered the lower 48 from Canada, by the way.",
">\n\nWhat is inside of the balloons!? Hate to be conspiracy theorist, BUT is this a Trojan horse!? The balloon can be maneuvered. Do they want us to shoot it down and release toxic chemicals? This is concerning. I'm getting too old for this.",
">\n\nYou are overeacting",
">\n\nI know. That's how my anxiety works about war.",
">\n\nDon’t worry, it’s just Harry Kanes ball finally returning to earth.",
">\n\nGet them down to at least find out if this is a fuckung bio attack!",
">\n\nWould it be illegal to shine a laser pointer at it? I mean… it is an illegal balloon, after all.",
">\n\nNeed a naval blockade of China",
">\n\ngoes these stupid Chinese, just go to Google Maps.",
">\n\nThe balloons are up there taking the highest resolution photos of this planet.\nGoogle Earth, Google Maps, Apple Maps are all fairly low resolution maps.\nThese accessible maps have been, massaged, edited and manipulated for many, many reasons. Some for privacy, some for military protection and some for evidence of places and items they just don’t want us to know about or see.\nThe Chinese want to know and see it all and don’t bow down to rules of other countries privacy or laws.\nThey’re doing their thing and may be brave enough to show us what is really going on and where.",
">\n\nThey already have low orbit satellites of their own. The pictures already exist.",
">\n\nYes, thankyou, l realise this but the point l was trying to imply was that, we, the general public are not privy to the pictures. When Google maps came out, the pictures were much, much clearer. You could zoom in closer to things. People started finding stuff on these pictures, reported them on the net, then they would disappear from the map, blurred out, pixelated so you couldn’t see them anymore. The images we see are rough, the images that the powers that be, see are incredibly detailed.\nSo, in my opinion, the Chinese want their own images.\nNot depending on any other countries so called photos.",
">\n\nIt is beyond ridiculous and implausible to think any country capable of launching spy satellites is using balloons for spying in the 21st Century. Use your head for something more than a hat rack.",
">\n\nBig brain time. You probably think you made a clever retort.",
">\n\nNot clever so much as calm and reasonable.\nI do see that dissent from the mobthink earns a multitude of lost karma points here. \nIt will turn out to be a big nothing.",
">\n\nLmao basic common sense is mobthink nowadays.",
">\n\nYeah, it's a freakout of a mob. Otherwise my quite reasonable comment questioning how it is supposed to have been steered to various sensitive sites would not have been heavily downvoted.",
">\n\nI heard it was actually the soccer ball Harry Kane launched into orbit during the France game.",
">\n\nOh no, Blinken isn’t going, that will show em",
">\n\nOooh es un futbol, es una pelota al azar en el patio",
">\n\nThe Chinese are pretty trustworthy, they’re just observing weather patterns of the west any other thought would be sinophobic. Edit: downvotes mean truth on Reddit lmao, they also didn’t release the virus right?🙄🤣😂",
">\n\nLmao do you seriously believe they released covid? \nAlso no it's not xenophobic. It's just stupid to assume things.",
">\n\nI do believe that, the Chinese don’t care about anything. The United States said they didn’t release it and then retracted they’re statement, what does that mean to you? The WHO also said it needs much more investigating, stop being so naive.",
">\n\nI'm not naive. I just don't assume things.\nIf we're going the assuming route, why don't we assume that the USA knew exactly what they were doing by releasing and retracting that statement, thereby turning people by you against china?\nI'm not saying i believe this but that statement i just made has just as much to back it up as yours.",
">\n\nMost likey the ballon is a network server that deals with hacking local networks.",
">\n\nFrom 60k feet?",
">\n\nThey bought one of those wifi boosters",
">\n\nAll that fuss over a pretty balloon… people got nothing else better to do? Like, focus on the inflation and the recession please",
">\n\nYes we can all worry about one thing and one thing only.",
">\n\nAll that money spent on defence and they can't shoot it down.",
">\n\nWe do not generally make a habit of shooting at things in the sky above our nation. Things can fall.\nBesides, maybe it's just a regular balloon doing nothing interesting. Shit happens.",
">\n\nHas litterally solar panels and is the size of a small house. Ope just floating on by here dont mind me",
">\n\nFraid of the big bad bwoon??? It's ok hunny",
">\n\nMeanwhile a Chinese spy satellite can see your butthole. Has anyone actually stopped and thought about this lol. It’s a fuckin balloon. This isn’t the early Cold War. There is literally ZERO reason to use a balloon to spy in the modern age. Whole thing is being used for fearmongering by the media.",
">\n\nChina has admitted, it is unable to control its militarized balloons and I like that the US is not shooting the balloons down. This will further embarrass and pressure the Chinese for an answer to the following question:\nHow are we in the international community to believe that China is a good “international partner”, “superpower”, or military threat if it can’t control its militarized balloon?\nOverall: Epic Fail",
">\n\nIt doesn’t make China look weak. The majority of Americans think the government looks weak not shooting down this balloon. Seriously, go take a poll of people at the supermarket or work and see how many find this to be ridiculous. The USA looks pathetic.",
">\n\nCome on now, a balloon with cameras on it? This is early 1900s tech… NORAD has tracked the balloon since it left China. The US, undoubtably has the ability to shoot the balloon down and it’s not as though a slow moving balloon caught anyone by surprise…\nWith this ask yourself, why leave it up there? \nPersonally I think it’s intentional and continues the presidential offices narrative around China. It also presses China to publicly answer for an archaic spying attempt and provides Blinken a reason to skip out on meeting with Xi.",
">\n\nCondaleezza Rice would never have canceled this trip. She would have stood up to China just like she famously stood up to Putin.",
">\n\nMaybe they've been taken over by aliens, and this was the only way to ask for help? \n(goes off to write screenplay).",
">\n\nWill be interesting to see how Latin America responds.",
">\n\nI'm actually interested to see how Latin America responds to their balloon and if it impacts how we respond to our balloon",
">\n\nSo, why a balloon instead of a drone?",
">\n\nDon’t they already have spy satellites? What’s the point of an obvious balloon?",
">\n\nGreat. We already have Russia trying to rush us to Armageddon... We need China to play as well???",
">\n\nJust shoot the first one down. Its over US airspace. To prevent people from getting hurt, ask people to stay indoors near the vicinity and time of the shooting.",
">\n\nWhy does the news keep using the term ‘spotted’ like some farmer looked up into the sky and discovered this thing??\n“The Chinese Balloon was spotted over North Carolina”. \nEverything that floats, flies or is launched is monitored in real-time by nations all over the world.",
">\n\nBalloon #1 is now gone, shot down after it was in the Atlantic, recovery is on the way by US team.",
">\n\nPerhaps America should send a balloon back to China, and 'drop off' the balloon they shot down.",
">\n\nWe need pyro balloons to counter this",
">\n\nIt's ballooning out of control now...",
">\n\n\nThe Pentagon did not specify the balloon’s exact location, but a US official told CNN it did not appear to be currently heading towards the US.\n\nLatin America is within US sovereignty now, wow.",
">\n\nImma up the blinken on em",
">\n\nWhat if they have a nuke in them so if you try to shoot it down or capture it the thing blows. It just has to sit there collecting...",
">\n\nImagine if it’s a nuke designed to explode in the stratosphere and EMP the nuclear launch sites",
">\n\nEven ignoring the fact that we've known about EMPs for decades and built nuclear silos to be EMP-resistant, China would need literally dozens, if not hundreds, of these to go off at the same time to maybe knock out almost some of them. And even then, we still have our whole bomber arsenal and nuclear submarines to retaliate with. The idea of China using balloons to slowly and very obviously sneak nuclear weapons into our country is frankly too stupid to be true."
] |
It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.
BUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too. | [] |
>
Amazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice. | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too."
] |
>
but i need a new board and new switches
you do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.
of course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck. | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice."
] |
>
I'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it. | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck."
] |
>
Holy grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP! | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it."
] |
>
damn, OG gmk muted | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!"
] |
>
yes | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!",
">\n\ndamn, OG gmk muted"
] |
>
Those keycaps seems to be in excellent condition ! | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!",
">\n\ndamn, OG gmk muted",
">\n\nyes"
] |
>
Well... It's a keyboard anyway... And it works apparently so... It must have been worth it, maybe? | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!",
">\n\ndamn, OG gmk muted",
">\n\nyes",
">\n\nThose keycaps seems to be in excellent condition !"
] |
>
Honestly, looks like it might just be rubber dome to me, but if you take a keycap off, you will know.
EDIT: Sorry, I didn't see there was more than just the first photo, and it looked like a lot of the older Dell-style keyboards that look like mechanicals but are just rubber-dome.
However, if I would have saw the second picture, I'd of course known it was a Cherry mechanical. :P | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!",
">\n\ndamn, OG gmk muted",
">\n\nyes",
">\n\nThose keycaps seems to be in excellent condition !",
">\n\nWell... It's a keyboard anyway... And it works apparently so... It must have been worth it, maybe?"
] |
>
The info sticker on the back tells you all you need to know.
It's a G81-3000 SAB, so it uses Cherry MY and also has PBT dye-sublimed keycaps. | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!",
">\n\ndamn, OG gmk muted",
">\n\nyes",
">\n\nThose keycaps seems to be in excellent condition !",
">\n\nWell... It's a keyboard anyway... And it works apparently so... It must have been worth it, maybe?",
">\n\nHonestly, looks like it might just be rubber dome to me, but if you take a keycap off, you will know.\nEDIT: Sorry, I didn't see there was more than just the first photo, and it looked like a lot of the older Dell-style keyboards that look like mechanicals but are just rubber-dome.\nHowever, if I would have saw the second picture, I'd of course known it was a Cherry mechanical. :P"
] |
>
Ah, yes. Sorry, I only saw the first picture. I didn't see there was a second picture to scroll to. Definitely my bad for missing there were additional photos... | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!",
">\n\ndamn, OG gmk muted",
">\n\nyes",
">\n\nThose keycaps seems to be in excellent condition !",
">\n\nWell... It's a keyboard anyway... And it works apparently so... It must have been worth it, maybe?",
">\n\nHonestly, looks like it might just be rubber dome to me, but if you take a keycap off, you will know.\nEDIT: Sorry, I didn't see there was more than just the first photo, and it looked like a lot of the older Dell-style keyboards that look like mechanicals but are just rubber-dome.\nHowever, if I would have saw the second picture, I'd of course known it was a Cherry mechanical. :P",
">\n\nThe info sticker on the back tells you all you need to know.\nIt's a G81-3000 SAB, so it uses Cherry MY and also has PBT dye-sublimed keycaps."
] |
>
pluck em | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!",
">\n\ndamn, OG gmk muted",
">\n\nyes",
">\n\nThose keycaps seems to be in excellent condition !",
">\n\nWell... It's a keyboard anyway... And it works apparently so... It must have been worth it, maybe?",
">\n\nHonestly, looks like it might just be rubber dome to me, but if you take a keycap off, you will know.\nEDIT: Sorry, I didn't see there was more than just the first photo, and it looked like a lot of the older Dell-style keyboards that look like mechanicals but are just rubber-dome.\nHowever, if I would have saw the second picture, I'd of course known it was a Cherry mechanical. :P",
">\n\nThe info sticker on the back tells you all you need to know.\nIt's a G81-3000 SAB, so it uses Cherry MY and also has PBT dye-sublimed keycaps.",
">\n\nAh, yes. Sorry, I only saw the first picture. I didn't see there was a second picture to scroll to. Definitely my bad for missing there were additional photos..."
] |
>
as someone else stated, the keycaps are really nice. Tho i think in this condition they can sell for more then 100 euros | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!",
">\n\ndamn, OG gmk muted",
">\n\nyes",
">\n\nThose keycaps seems to be in excellent condition !",
">\n\nWell... It's a keyboard anyway... And it works apparently so... It must have been worth it, maybe?",
">\n\nHonestly, looks like it might just be rubber dome to me, but if you take a keycap off, you will know.\nEDIT: Sorry, I didn't see there was more than just the first photo, and it looked like a lot of the older Dell-style keyboards that look like mechanicals but are just rubber-dome.\nHowever, if I would have saw the second picture, I'd of course known it was a Cherry mechanical. :P",
">\n\nThe info sticker on the back tells you all you need to know.\nIt's a G81-3000 SAB, so it uses Cherry MY and also has PBT dye-sublimed keycaps.",
">\n\nAh, yes. Sorry, I only saw the first picture. I didn't see there was a second picture to scroll to. Definitely my bad for missing there were additional photos...",
">\n\npluck em"
] |
>
I mean I spent $15 at Arby’s yesterday sooo. 😂 | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!",
">\n\ndamn, OG gmk muted",
">\n\nyes",
">\n\nThose keycaps seems to be in excellent condition !",
">\n\nWell... It's a keyboard anyway... And it works apparently so... It must have been worth it, maybe?",
">\n\nHonestly, looks like it might just be rubber dome to me, but if you take a keycap off, you will know.\nEDIT: Sorry, I didn't see there was more than just the first photo, and it looked like a lot of the older Dell-style keyboards that look like mechanicals but are just rubber-dome.\nHowever, if I would have saw the second picture, I'd of course known it was a Cherry mechanical. :P",
">\n\nThe info sticker on the back tells you all you need to know.\nIt's a G81-3000 SAB, so it uses Cherry MY and also has PBT dye-sublimed keycaps.",
">\n\nAh, yes. Sorry, I only saw the first picture. I didn't see there was a second picture to scroll to. Definitely my bad for missing there were additional photos...",
">\n\npluck em",
">\n\nas someone else stated, the keycaps are really nice. Tho i think in this condition they can sell for more then 100 euros"
] |
>
€5? Yeah.
€6? You’re pushing it. | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!",
">\n\ndamn, OG gmk muted",
">\n\nyes",
">\n\nThose keycaps seems to be in excellent condition !",
">\n\nWell... It's a keyboard anyway... And it works apparently so... It must have been worth it, maybe?",
">\n\nHonestly, looks like it might just be rubber dome to me, but if you take a keycap off, you will know.\nEDIT: Sorry, I didn't see there was more than just the first photo, and it looked like a lot of the older Dell-style keyboards that look like mechanicals but are just rubber-dome.\nHowever, if I would have saw the second picture, I'd of course known it was a Cherry mechanical. :P",
">\n\nThe info sticker on the back tells you all you need to know.\nIt's a G81-3000 SAB, so it uses Cherry MY and also has PBT dye-sublimed keycaps.",
">\n\nAh, yes. Sorry, I only saw the first picture. I didn't see there was a second picture to scroll to. Definitely my bad for missing there were additional photos...",
">\n\npluck em",
">\n\nas someone else stated, the keycaps are really nice. Tho i think in this condition they can sell for more then 100 euros",
">\n\nI mean I spent $15 at Arby’s yesterday sooo. 😂"
] |
>
It's an AZERTY layout so you might have trouble typing on it if you're used to QWERTY. | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!",
">\n\ndamn, OG gmk muted",
">\n\nyes",
">\n\nThose keycaps seems to be in excellent condition !",
">\n\nWell... It's a keyboard anyway... And it works apparently so... It must have been worth it, maybe?",
">\n\nHonestly, looks like it might just be rubber dome to me, but if you take a keycap off, you will know.\nEDIT: Sorry, I didn't see there was more than just the first photo, and it looked like a lot of the older Dell-style keyboards that look like mechanicals but are just rubber-dome.\nHowever, if I would have saw the second picture, I'd of course known it was a Cherry mechanical. :P",
">\n\nThe info sticker on the back tells you all you need to know.\nIt's a G81-3000 SAB, so it uses Cherry MY and also has PBT dye-sublimed keycaps.",
">\n\nAh, yes. Sorry, I only saw the first picture. I didn't see there was a second picture to scroll to. Definitely my bad for missing there were additional photos...",
">\n\npluck em",
">\n\nas someone else stated, the keycaps are really nice. Tho i think in this condition they can sell for more then 100 euros",
">\n\nI mean I spent $15 at Arby’s yesterday sooo. 😂",
">\n\n€5? Yeah.\n€6? You’re pushing it."
] |
>
It is mechanical, but the cherry MY switches it uses are... Let's say less than ideal. | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!",
">\n\ndamn, OG gmk muted",
">\n\nyes",
">\n\nThose keycaps seems to be in excellent condition !",
">\n\nWell... It's a keyboard anyway... And it works apparently so... It must have been worth it, maybe?",
">\n\nHonestly, looks like it might just be rubber dome to me, but if you take a keycap off, you will know.\nEDIT: Sorry, I didn't see there was more than just the first photo, and it looked like a lot of the older Dell-style keyboards that look like mechanicals but are just rubber-dome.\nHowever, if I would have saw the second picture, I'd of course known it was a Cherry mechanical. :P",
">\n\nThe info sticker on the back tells you all you need to know.\nIt's a G81-3000 SAB, so it uses Cherry MY and also has PBT dye-sublimed keycaps.",
">\n\nAh, yes. Sorry, I only saw the first picture. I didn't see there was a second picture to scroll to. Definitely my bad for missing there were additional photos...",
">\n\npluck em",
">\n\nas someone else stated, the keycaps are really nice. Tho i think in this condition they can sell for more then 100 euros",
">\n\nI mean I spent $15 at Arby’s yesterday sooo. 😂",
">\n\n€5? Yeah.\n€6? You’re pushing it.",
">\n\nIt's an AZERTY layout so you might have trouble typing on it if you're used to QWERTY."
] |
>
The keycaps are PBT (although very thin) and they are definitely worth more than 5€. | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!",
">\n\ndamn, OG gmk muted",
">\n\nyes",
">\n\nThose keycaps seems to be in excellent condition !",
">\n\nWell... It's a keyboard anyway... And it works apparently so... It must have been worth it, maybe?",
">\n\nHonestly, looks like it might just be rubber dome to me, but if you take a keycap off, you will know.\nEDIT: Sorry, I didn't see there was more than just the first photo, and it looked like a lot of the older Dell-style keyboards that look like mechanicals but are just rubber-dome.\nHowever, if I would have saw the second picture, I'd of course known it was a Cherry mechanical. :P",
">\n\nThe info sticker on the back tells you all you need to know.\nIt's a G81-3000 SAB, so it uses Cherry MY and also has PBT dye-sublimed keycaps.",
">\n\nAh, yes. Sorry, I only saw the first picture. I didn't see there was a second picture to scroll to. Definitely my bad for missing there were additional photos...",
">\n\npluck em",
">\n\nas someone else stated, the keycaps are really nice. Tho i think in this condition they can sell for more then 100 euros",
">\n\nI mean I spent $15 at Arby’s yesterday sooo. 😂",
">\n\n€5? Yeah.\n€6? You’re pushing it.",
">\n\nIt's an AZERTY layout so you might have trouble typing on it if you're used to QWERTY.",
">\n\nIt is mechanical, but the cherry MY switches it uses are... Let's say less than ideal."
] |
> | [
"It's a Cherry G81 which means it uses Cherry MY switches. These are pretty bad.\nBUT the saving grace here are the keycaps. They're compatible with MX switches and they're vintage Cherry dyesub PBT keycaps. These are regarded as some of the best keycaps ever made for MX switches. Just because of those, this is a fantastic find and just the keycaps themselves regularly sell for over 100 euro. They're in great condition too.",
">\n\nAmazing, so it's best to sell the keycaps or build something with them if i want, but i need a new board and new switches, thanks for the advice.",
">\n\n\nbut i need a new board and new switches\n\nyou do if you want it to not feel like ass - but if you dont know what a good keyboard feels like you might not hate it that much.\nof course this is speculatory as ive never had the displeasure of trying MY ive just listened to chyrosran rant about them 50 times and got the message that they suck.",
">\n\nI'm gonna try it like this just to see, I'm not an expert but i'm curious about it.",
">\n\nHoly grail of keycaps, 7th circle of hell switches LOL! Awesome find though OP!",
">\n\ndamn, OG gmk muted",
">\n\nyes",
">\n\nThose keycaps seems to be in excellent condition !",
">\n\nWell... It's a keyboard anyway... And it works apparently so... It must have been worth it, maybe?",
">\n\nHonestly, looks like it might just be rubber dome to me, but if you take a keycap off, you will know.\nEDIT: Sorry, I didn't see there was more than just the first photo, and it looked like a lot of the older Dell-style keyboards that look like mechanicals but are just rubber-dome.\nHowever, if I would have saw the second picture, I'd of course known it was a Cherry mechanical. :P",
">\n\nThe info sticker on the back tells you all you need to know.\nIt's a G81-3000 SAB, so it uses Cherry MY and also has PBT dye-sublimed keycaps.",
">\n\nAh, yes. Sorry, I only saw the first picture. I didn't see there was a second picture to scroll to. Definitely my bad for missing there were additional photos...",
">\n\npluck em",
">\n\nas someone else stated, the keycaps are really nice. Tho i think in this condition they can sell for more then 100 euros",
">\n\nI mean I spent $15 at Arby’s yesterday sooo. 😂",
">\n\n€5? Yeah.\n€6? You’re pushing it.",
">\n\nIt's an AZERTY layout so you might have trouble typing on it if you're used to QWERTY.",
">\n\nIt is mechanical, but the cherry MY switches it uses are... Let's say less than ideal.",
">\n\nThe keycaps are PBT (although very thin) and they are definitely worth more than 5€."
] |
This is the “deep state” Republicans and the far-right have been talking about. | [] |
>
The GOP doesn’t even try to hide their corruption any more | [
"This is the “deep state” Republicans and the far-right have been talking about."
] |
>
Giving up on a funding source when the other side doesn't means losing elections. That's why they have kept it. | [
"This is the “deep state” Republicans and the far-right have been talking about.",
">\n\nThe GOP doesn’t even try to hide their corruption any more"
] |
>
Yet they have the power to pass laws and still haven’t legitimately tried to pass legislation to stop it. No media will report on it either because that’s where the money goes. This is legitimately one of those, “both sides do it” issues and neither has any desire to fix it. | [
"This is the “deep state” Republicans and the far-right have been talking about.",
">\n\nThe GOP doesn’t even try to hide their corruption any more",
">\n\nGiving up on a funding source when the other side doesn't means losing elections. That's why they have kept it."
] |
>
$1.3 billion was spent by super PACs during the midterm election. An off year! Over $1 billion of that came from only 465 people. And both sides love it. It’s a cancer to democracy. | [
"This is the “deep state” Republicans and the far-right have been talking about.",
">\n\nThe GOP doesn’t even try to hide their corruption any more",
">\n\nGiving up on a funding source when the other side doesn't means losing elections. That's why they have kept it.",
">\n\nYet they have the power to pass laws and still haven’t legitimately tried to pass legislation to stop it. No media will report on it either because that’s where the money goes. This is legitimately one of those, “both sides do it” issues and neither has any desire to fix it."
] |
>
The problem isn't that both sides love it, but that you can't unilaterally disarm. It stinks. | [
"This is the “deep state” Republicans and the far-right have been talking about.",
">\n\nThe GOP doesn’t even try to hide their corruption any more",
">\n\nGiving up on a funding source when the other side doesn't means losing elections. That's why they have kept it.",
">\n\nYet they have the power to pass laws and still haven’t legitimately tried to pass legislation to stop it. No media will report on it either because that’s where the money goes. This is legitimately one of those, “both sides do it” issues and neither has any desire to fix it.",
">\n\n$1.3 billion was spent by super PACs during the midterm election. An off year! Over $1 billion of that came from only 465 people. And both sides love it. It’s a cancer to democracy."
] |
> | [
"This is the “deep state” Republicans and the far-right have been talking about.",
">\n\nThe GOP doesn’t even try to hide their corruption any more",
">\n\nGiving up on a funding source when the other side doesn't means losing elections. That's why they have kept it.",
">\n\nYet they have the power to pass laws and still haven’t legitimately tried to pass legislation to stop it. No media will report on it either because that’s where the money goes. This is legitimately one of those, “both sides do it” issues and neither has any desire to fix it.",
">\n\n$1.3 billion was spent by super PACs during the midterm election. An off year! Over $1 billion of that came from only 465 people. And both sides love it. It’s a cancer to democracy.",
">\n\nThe problem isn't that both sides love it, but that you can't unilaterally disarm. It stinks."
] |
This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.
Remember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not "thoughts had in the shower!"
(For an explanation of what a "showerthought" is, please read this page.)
Rule-breaking posts may result in bans. | [] |
>
Weirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans."
] |
>
In some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast."
] |
>
I'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults."
] |
>
Countries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources."
] |
>
It would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk"
] |
>
It would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer."
] |
>
It would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human."
] |
>
It would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull."
] |
>
It would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink"
] |
>
Or like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics? | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out."
] |
>
Have you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?"
] |
>
Like anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk."
] |
>
Vulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing."
] |
>
it is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not
you literally drink breast milk from cows
can't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them
do you think that isn't weird? | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization."
] |
>
We eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird.
Which is not weird, because that is cannibalism. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?"
] |
>
Other animals are casual cannibals | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism."
] |
>
I would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals"
] |
>
Breastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature."
] |
>
I mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it."
] |
>
Similar to a wet nurse | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it.",
">\n\nI mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants"
] |
>
I’m not of the majority, but drinking milk from another animal is pretty freaking strange too. Especially if you first imprison the animal an its whole family for generations and then fondle its large nipnips to get that sweet thick milk. Milk that the animals body produces for its babies.
It might actually be less strange if you imprison the animals for generations as sneaking around out in the wilds to get a squeeze from a cows or goats nipnips would also be pretty freaky.
There are some pretty good drinks that don’t require us to get pervy or sadistic with any number of generations of a species of animal. Those are good drinks too. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it.",
">\n\nI mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants",
">\n\nSimilar to a wet nurse"
] |
>
To be fair most dairy farms take pretty good care of their ladies, better care even than if they were in the 'wild,' so to speak. Maybe not the massive money maker farms but the smaller family run farms take good care of their cows | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it.",
">\n\nI mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants",
">\n\nSimilar to a wet nurse",
">\n\nI’m not of the majority, but drinking milk from another animal is pretty freaking strange too. Especially if you first imprison the animal an its whole family for generations and then fondle its large nipnips to get that sweet thick milk. Milk that the animals body produces for its babies.\nIt might actually be less strange if you imprison the animals for generations as sneaking around out in the wilds to get a squeeze from a cows or goats nipnips would also be pretty freaky.\nThere are some pretty good drinks that don’t require us to get pervy or sadistic with any number of generations of a species of animal. Those are good drinks too."
] |
>
Cows also provide WAY more milk than their calf actually needs. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it.",
">\n\nI mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants",
">\n\nSimilar to a wet nurse",
">\n\nI’m not of the majority, but drinking milk from another animal is pretty freaking strange too. Especially if you first imprison the animal an its whole family for generations and then fondle its large nipnips to get that sweet thick milk. Milk that the animals body produces for its babies.\nIt might actually be less strange if you imprison the animals for generations as sneaking around out in the wilds to get a squeeze from a cows or goats nipnips would also be pretty freaky.\nThere are some pretty good drinks that don’t require us to get pervy or sadistic with any number of generations of a species of animal. Those are good drinks too.",
">\n\nTo be fair most dairy farms take pretty good care of their ladies, better care even than if they were in the 'wild,' so to speak. Maybe not the massive money maker farms but the smaller family run farms take good care of their cows"
] |
>
I've been on a few different dairy farms and calves are actually fed a lot of formula and separated from theirs mothers at a very young age. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it.",
">\n\nI mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants",
">\n\nSimilar to a wet nurse",
">\n\nI’m not of the majority, but drinking milk from another animal is pretty freaking strange too. Especially if you first imprison the animal an its whole family for generations and then fondle its large nipnips to get that sweet thick milk. Milk that the animals body produces for its babies.\nIt might actually be less strange if you imprison the animals for generations as sneaking around out in the wilds to get a squeeze from a cows or goats nipnips would also be pretty freaky.\nThere are some pretty good drinks that don’t require us to get pervy or sadistic with any number of generations of a species of animal. Those are good drinks too.",
">\n\nTo be fair most dairy farms take pretty good care of their ladies, better care even than if they were in the 'wild,' so to speak. Maybe not the massive money maker farms but the smaller family run farms take good care of their cows",
">\n\nCows also provide WAY more milk than their calf actually needs."
] |
>
On bigger farms yes they feed a lot of formula, i think they do it to better control nutrition value, but am not 100%. I only have personal experience with small 40ish head family dairies.
All dairy farms separate the calves, but in any case dairy cows give way more milk than any calf can drink. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it.",
">\n\nI mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants",
">\n\nSimilar to a wet nurse",
">\n\nI’m not of the majority, but drinking milk from another animal is pretty freaking strange too. Especially if you first imprison the animal an its whole family for generations and then fondle its large nipnips to get that sweet thick milk. Milk that the animals body produces for its babies.\nIt might actually be less strange if you imprison the animals for generations as sneaking around out in the wilds to get a squeeze from a cows or goats nipnips would also be pretty freaky.\nThere are some pretty good drinks that don’t require us to get pervy or sadistic with any number of generations of a species of animal. Those are good drinks too.",
">\n\nTo be fair most dairy farms take pretty good care of their ladies, better care even than if they were in the 'wild,' so to speak. Maybe not the massive money maker farms but the smaller family run farms take good care of their cows",
">\n\nCows also provide WAY more milk than their calf actually needs.",
">\n\nI've been on a few different dairy farms and calves are actually fed a lot of formula and separated from theirs mothers at a very young age."
] |
>
Random, some husbands get accidental milk during foreplay. And lactating women have been known to use their milk as a weapon by squeezing their boobs. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it.",
">\n\nI mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants",
">\n\nSimilar to a wet nurse",
">\n\nI’m not of the majority, but drinking milk from another animal is pretty freaking strange too. Especially if you first imprison the animal an its whole family for generations and then fondle its large nipnips to get that sweet thick milk. Milk that the animals body produces for its babies.\nIt might actually be less strange if you imprison the animals for generations as sneaking around out in the wilds to get a squeeze from a cows or goats nipnips would also be pretty freaky.\nThere are some pretty good drinks that don’t require us to get pervy or sadistic with any number of generations of a species of animal. Those are good drinks too.",
">\n\nTo be fair most dairy farms take pretty good care of their ladies, better care even than if they were in the 'wild,' so to speak. Maybe not the massive money maker farms but the smaller family run farms take good care of their cows",
">\n\nCows also provide WAY more milk than their calf actually needs.",
">\n\nI've been on a few different dairy farms and calves are actually fed a lot of formula and separated from theirs mothers at a very young age.",
">\n\nOn bigger farms yes they feed a lot of formula, i think they do it to better control nutrition value, but am not 100%. I only have personal experience with small 40ish head family dairies.\nAll dairy farms separate the calves, but in any case dairy cows give way more milk than any calf can drink."
] |
>
eating other species is normal but eating humans is weird too | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it.",
">\n\nI mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants",
">\n\nSimilar to a wet nurse",
">\n\nI’m not of the majority, but drinking milk from another animal is pretty freaking strange too. Especially if you first imprison the animal an its whole family for generations and then fondle its large nipnips to get that sweet thick milk. Milk that the animals body produces for its babies.\nIt might actually be less strange if you imprison the animals for generations as sneaking around out in the wilds to get a squeeze from a cows or goats nipnips would also be pretty freaky.\nThere are some pretty good drinks that don’t require us to get pervy or sadistic with any number of generations of a species of animal. Those are good drinks too.",
">\n\nTo be fair most dairy farms take pretty good care of their ladies, better care even than if they were in the 'wild,' so to speak. Maybe not the massive money maker farms but the smaller family run farms take good care of their cows",
">\n\nCows also provide WAY more milk than their calf actually needs.",
">\n\nI've been on a few different dairy farms and calves are actually fed a lot of formula and separated from theirs mothers at a very young age.",
">\n\nOn bigger farms yes they feed a lot of formula, i think they do it to better control nutrition value, but am not 100%. I only have personal experience with small 40ish head family dairies.\nAll dairy farms separate the calves, but in any case dairy cows give way more milk than any calf can drink.",
">\n\nRandom, some husbands get accidental milk during foreplay. And lactating women have been known to use their milk as a weapon by squeezing their boobs."
] |
>
But we feed human breast milk to our young. But once we turn 2 we drink cows milk. Same can’t be said about meat… | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it.",
">\n\nI mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants",
">\n\nSimilar to a wet nurse",
">\n\nI’m not of the majority, but drinking milk from another animal is pretty freaking strange too. Especially if you first imprison the animal an its whole family for generations and then fondle its large nipnips to get that sweet thick milk. Milk that the animals body produces for its babies.\nIt might actually be less strange if you imprison the animals for generations as sneaking around out in the wilds to get a squeeze from a cows or goats nipnips would also be pretty freaky.\nThere are some pretty good drinks that don’t require us to get pervy or sadistic with any number of generations of a species of animal. Those are good drinks too.",
">\n\nTo be fair most dairy farms take pretty good care of their ladies, better care even than if they were in the 'wild,' so to speak. Maybe not the massive money maker farms but the smaller family run farms take good care of their cows",
">\n\nCows also provide WAY more milk than their calf actually needs.",
">\n\nI've been on a few different dairy farms and calves are actually fed a lot of formula and separated from theirs mothers at a very young age.",
">\n\nOn bigger farms yes they feed a lot of formula, i think they do it to better control nutrition value, but am not 100%. I only have personal experience with small 40ish head family dairies.\nAll dairy farms separate the calves, but in any case dairy cows give way more milk than any calf can drink.",
">\n\nRandom, some husbands get accidental milk during foreplay. And lactating women have been known to use their milk as a weapon by squeezing their boobs.",
">\n\neating other species is normal but eating humans is weird too"
] |
>
Well long as she's not on drugs | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it.",
">\n\nI mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants",
">\n\nSimilar to a wet nurse",
">\n\nI’m not of the majority, but drinking milk from another animal is pretty freaking strange too. Especially if you first imprison the animal an its whole family for generations and then fondle its large nipnips to get that sweet thick milk. Milk that the animals body produces for its babies.\nIt might actually be less strange if you imprison the animals for generations as sneaking around out in the wilds to get a squeeze from a cows or goats nipnips would also be pretty freaky.\nThere are some pretty good drinks that don’t require us to get pervy or sadistic with any number of generations of a species of animal. Those are good drinks too.",
">\n\nTo be fair most dairy farms take pretty good care of their ladies, better care even than if they were in the 'wild,' so to speak. Maybe not the massive money maker farms but the smaller family run farms take good care of their cows",
">\n\nCows also provide WAY more milk than their calf actually needs.",
">\n\nI've been on a few different dairy farms and calves are actually fed a lot of formula and separated from theirs mothers at a very young age.",
">\n\nOn bigger farms yes they feed a lot of formula, i think they do it to better control nutrition value, but am not 100%. I only have personal experience with small 40ish head family dairies.\nAll dairy farms separate the calves, but in any case dairy cows give way more milk than any calf can drink.",
">\n\nRandom, some husbands get accidental milk during foreplay. And lactating women have been known to use their milk as a weapon by squeezing their boobs.",
">\n\neating other species is normal but eating humans is weird too",
">\n\nBut we feed human breast milk to our young. But once we turn 2 we drink cows milk. Same can’t be said about meat…"
] |
>
Why don't we just eat Human steaks as-well? Cancel culture at its finest | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it.",
">\n\nI mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants",
">\n\nSimilar to a wet nurse",
">\n\nI’m not of the majority, but drinking milk from another animal is pretty freaking strange too. Especially if you first imprison the animal an its whole family for generations and then fondle its large nipnips to get that sweet thick milk. Milk that the animals body produces for its babies.\nIt might actually be less strange if you imprison the animals for generations as sneaking around out in the wilds to get a squeeze from a cows or goats nipnips would also be pretty freaky.\nThere are some pretty good drinks that don’t require us to get pervy or sadistic with any number of generations of a species of animal. Those are good drinks too.",
">\n\nTo be fair most dairy farms take pretty good care of their ladies, better care even than if they were in the 'wild,' so to speak. Maybe not the massive money maker farms but the smaller family run farms take good care of their cows",
">\n\nCows also provide WAY more milk than their calf actually needs.",
">\n\nI've been on a few different dairy farms and calves are actually fed a lot of formula and separated from theirs mothers at a very young age.",
">\n\nOn bigger farms yes they feed a lot of formula, i think they do it to better control nutrition value, but am not 100%. I only have personal experience with small 40ish head family dairies.\nAll dairy farms separate the calves, but in any case dairy cows give way more milk than any calf can drink.",
">\n\nRandom, some husbands get accidental milk during foreplay. And lactating women have been known to use their milk as a weapon by squeezing their boobs.",
">\n\neating other species is normal but eating humans is weird too",
">\n\nBut we feed human breast milk to our young. But once we turn 2 we drink cows milk. Same can’t be said about meat…",
">\n\nWell long as she's not on drugs"
] |
>
well animals don’t tend to drink each others milk into adulthood i don’t think, so it’s weird for any species to still drink their own milk beyond a certain age. as for drinking other milks, i agree that’s def weird. hence why i stick to oat | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it.",
">\n\nI mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants",
">\n\nSimilar to a wet nurse",
">\n\nI’m not of the majority, but drinking milk from another animal is pretty freaking strange too. Especially if you first imprison the animal an its whole family for generations and then fondle its large nipnips to get that sweet thick milk. Milk that the animals body produces for its babies.\nIt might actually be less strange if you imprison the animals for generations as sneaking around out in the wilds to get a squeeze from a cows or goats nipnips would also be pretty freaky.\nThere are some pretty good drinks that don’t require us to get pervy or sadistic with any number of generations of a species of animal. Those are good drinks too.",
">\n\nTo be fair most dairy farms take pretty good care of their ladies, better care even than if they were in the 'wild,' so to speak. Maybe not the massive money maker farms but the smaller family run farms take good care of their cows",
">\n\nCows also provide WAY more milk than their calf actually needs.",
">\n\nI've been on a few different dairy farms and calves are actually fed a lot of formula and separated from theirs mothers at a very young age.",
">\n\nOn bigger farms yes they feed a lot of formula, i think they do it to better control nutrition value, but am not 100%. I only have personal experience with small 40ish head family dairies.\nAll dairy farms separate the calves, but in any case dairy cows give way more milk than any calf can drink.",
">\n\nRandom, some husbands get accidental milk during foreplay. And lactating women have been known to use their milk as a weapon by squeezing their boobs.",
">\n\neating other species is normal but eating humans is weird too",
">\n\nBut we feed human breast milk to our young. But once we turn 2 we drink cows milk. Same can’t be said about meat…",
">\n\nWell long as she's not on drugs",
">\n\nWhy don't we just eat Human steaks as-well? Cancel culture at its finest"
] |
>
Not really, consider that you're fine with eating animal flesh but not another fellow. Even in extreme cases when it was necessary for survival it's considered as taboo. | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it.",
">\n\nI mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants",
">\n\nSimilar to a wet nurse",
">\n\nI’m not of the majority, but drinking milk from another animal is pretty freaking strange too. Especially if you first imprison the animal an its whole family for generations and then fondle its large nipnips to get that sweet thick milk. Milk that the animals body produces for its babies.\nIt might actually be less strange if you imprison the animals for generations as sneaking around out in the wilds to get a squeeze from a cows or goats nipnips would also be pretty freaky.\nThere are some pretty good drinks that don’t require us to get pervy or sadistic with any number of generations of a species of animal. Those are good drinks too.",
">\n\nTo be fair most dairy farms take pretty good care of their ladies, better care even than if they were in the 'wild,' so to speak. Maybe not the massive money maker farms but the smaller family run farms take good care of their cows",
">\n\nCows also provide WAY more milk than their calf actually needs.",
">\n\nI've been on a few different dairy farms and calves are actually fed a lot of formula and separated from theirs mothers at a very young age.",
">\n\nOn bigger farms yes they feed a lot of formula, i think they do it to better control nutrition value, but am not 100%. I only have personal experience with small 40ish head family dairies.\nAll dairy farms separate the calves, but in any case dairy cows give way more milk than any calf can drink.",
">\n\nRandom, some husbands get accidental milk during foreplay. And lactating women have been known to use their milk as a weapon by squeezing their boobs.",
">\n\neating other species is normal but eating humans is weird too",
">\n\nBut we feed human breast milk to our young. But once we turn 2 we drink cows milk. Same can’t be said about meat…",
">\n\nWell long as she's not on drugs",
">\n\nWhy don't we just eat Human steaks as-well? Cancel culture at its finest",
">\n\nwell animals don’t tend to drink each others milk into adulthood i don’t think, so it’s weird for any species to still drink their own milk beyond a certain age. as for drinking other milks, i agree that’s def weird. hence why i stick to oat"
] |
> | [
"This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.\nRemember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not \"thoughts had in the shower!\"\n(For an explanation of what a \"showerthought\" is, please read this page.)\nRule-breaking posts may result in bans.",
">\n\nWeirder still if you were to see a lactating human feed a calf by breast.",
">\n\nIn some cultures it's considered abnormal for adults to drink any kind of milk. This is believed to be why a large percentage of East Asians become lactose intolerant as adults.",
">\n\nI'm from Southeast Asia and I agree. My grandma spent her early years in an extremely rural island and they never drank cow's milk even though there were plenty of cows. Probably because they have ample food from nature so they didn't need to explore more sources.",
">\n\nCountries near the equator have people with a high level of lactose intolerance because they get enough vitamin d from the sun for the bones so they dont really need to digest milk fully for calcium. Meanwhile in europe where people dont get that much sun milk was the only good source of calcium. Hence why asian countries have people with a high level of lactose intolerance. Thank you for coming to my ted talk",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a heifer.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a bull started drinking from a human.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started drinking from a bull.",
">\n\nIt would also be weird if a human started bullieng a drink",
">\n\nIt would also be bullshit if a bull ate a human and pooped him out.",
">\n\nOr like, why aren't we fermenting breast milk for homemade decent probiotics?",
">\n\nHave you ever smelled curdled breastmilk? Blech. Flashbacks to my infant son not being able to hold any of it down and just smelling like puke for about a month before we found the wonderful, lifesaving world of goat milk.",
">\n\nLike anything that has a fetish community, fetishists make things that logically sound normal weird. Admiring parts of the human body of the opposite sex makes sense too but admiring someone's feet is always a fetish thing.",
">\n\nVulnerable body parts get covered up. Covered up body parts become a novelty. Novelty invites sexualization.",
">\n\nit is weird to drink another species milk you are just conditioned to think it is not \nyou literally drink breast milk from cows \ncan't forget you pay a person to fist a cows ass so they can impregnate them \ndo you think that isn't weird?",
">\n\nWe eat other species' meat, which is normal; but eating human meat is weird. \nWhich is not weird, because that is cannibalism.",
">\n\nOther animals are casual cannibals",
">\n\nI would prefer not to consume bovine lactose at any temperature.",
">\n\nBreastmilk if for developing humans - infants - and adults are already fully developed. We drink other animals milk because its delicious and what can they do about it.",
">\n\nI mean, cow's milk is also designed for infants",
">\n\nSimilar to a wet nurse",
">\n\nI’m not of the majority, but drinking milk from another animal is pretty freaking strange too. Especially if you first imprison the animal an its whole family for generations and then fondle its large nipnips to get that sweet thick milk. Milk that the animals body produces for its babies.\nIt might actually be less strange if you imprison the animals for generations as sneaking around out in the wilds to get a squeeze from a cows or goats nipnips would also be pretty freaky.\nThere are some pretty good drinks that don’t require us to get pervy or sadistic with any number of generations of a species of animal. Those are good drinks too.",
">\n\nTo be fair most dairy farms take pretty good care of their ladies, better care even than if they were in the 'wild,' so to speak. Maybe not the massive money maker farms but the smaller family run farms take good care of their cows",
">\n\nCows also provide WAY more milk than their calf actually needs.",
">\n\nI've been on a few different dairy farms and calves are actually fed a lot of formula and separated from theirs mothers at a very young age.",
">\n\nOn bigger farms yes they feed a lot of formula, i think they do it to better control nutrition value, but am not 100%. I only have personal experience with small 40ish head family dairies.\nAll dairy farms separate the calves, but in any case dairy cows give way more milk than any calf can drink.",
">\n\nRandom, some husbands get accidental milk during foreplay. And lactating women have been known to use their milk as a weapon by squeezing their boobs.",
">\n\neating other species is normal but eating humans is weird too",
">\n\nBut we feed human breast milk to our young. But once we turn 2 we drink cows milk. Same can’t be said about meat…",
">\n\nWell long as she's not on drugs",
">\n\nWhy don't we just eat Human steaks as-well? Cancel culture at its finest",
">\n\nwell animals don’t tend to drink each others milk into adulthood i don’t think, so it’s weird for any species to still drink their own milk beyond a certain age. as for drinking other milks, i agree that’s def weird. hence why i stick to oat",
">\n\nNot really, consider that you're fine with eating animal flesh but not another fellow. Even in extreme cases when it was necessary for survival it's considered as taboo."
] |
I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.
Throwing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after. | [] |
>
The last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after."
] |
>
I was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing"
] |
>
I just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea."
] |
>
I walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL."
] |
>
If you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions? | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week."
] |
>
Once, I think (I was knocked out at the time).
Just so you know, I heal quickly with everything. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?"
] |
>
The shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.
I was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything."
] |
>
As someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked."
] |
>
Weird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.
I also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol"
] |
>
The best feeling in the world is the second you finish throwing up and are finished.
Going back to bed covered in sweat, shivering but completely calm stomached? Perfect sleep. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol",
">\n\nWeird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.\nI also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point."
] |
>
Does thc help your nausea? | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol",
">\n\nWeird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.\nI also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point.",
">\n\nThe best feeling in the world is the second you finish throwing up and are finished.\nGoing back to bed covered in sweat, shivering but completely calm stomached? Perfect sleep."
] |
>
dread vs catharsis | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol",
">\n\nWeird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.\nI also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point.",
">\n\nThe best feeling in the world is the second you finish throwing up and are finished.\nGoing back to bed covered in sweat, shivering but completely calm stomached? Perfect sleep.",
">\n\nDoes thc help your nausea?"
] |
>
Throwing up usually results in my discomfort going away.
If the nausea gets too painful I’ll try and throw up because usually it allows me to be comfortable enough to then fall asleep again. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol",
">\n\nWeird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.\nI also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point.",
">\n\nThe best feeling in the world is the second you finish throwing up and are finished.\nGoing back to bed covered in sweat, shivering but completely calm stomached? Perfect sleep.",
">\n\nDoes thc help your nausea?",
">\n\ndread vs catharsis"
] |
>
broh i always preffer the ehadache over the diziness the confusion. the desperation | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol",
">\n\nWeird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.\nI also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point.",
">\n\nThe best feeling in the world is the second you finish throwing up and are finished.\nGoing back to bed covered in sweat, shivering but completely calm stomached? Perfect sleep.",
">\n\nDoes thc help your nausea?",
">\n\ndread vs catharsis",
">\n\nThrowing up usually results in my discomfort going away. \nIf the nausea gets too painful I’ll try and throw up because usually it allows me to be comfortable enough to then fall asleep again."
] |
>
9 months of constant nausea with my last child and gods Forbid that I ate anything with tomato sauce on it. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol",
">\n\nWeird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.\nI also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point.",
">\n\nThe best feeling in the world is the second you finish throwing up and are finished.\nGoing back to bed covered in sweat, shivering but completely calm stomached? Perfect sleep.",
">\n\nDoes thc help your nausea?",
">\n\ndread vs catharsis",
">\n\nThrowing up usually results in my discomfort going away. \nIf the nausea gets too painful I’ll try and throw up because usually it allows me to be comfortable enough to then fall asleep again.",
">\n\nbroh i always preffer the ehadache over the diziness the confusion. the desperation"
] |
>
I have to agree. Every time I’m hungover and try to ride the waves of nausea I feel so much better once I just get it over with and throw up. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol",
">\n\nWeird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.\nI also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point.",
">\n\nThe best feeling in the world is the second you finish throwing up and are finished.\nGoing back to bed covered in sweat, shivering but completely calm stomached? Perfect sleep.",
">\n\nDoes thc help your nausea?",
">\n\ndread vs catharsis",
">\n\nThrowing up usually results in my discomfort going away. \nIf the nausea gets too painful I’ll try and throw up because usually it allows me to be comfortable enough to then fall asleep again.",
">\n\nbroh i always preffer the ehadache over the diziness the confusion. the desperation",
">\n\n9 months of constant nausea with my last child and gods Forbid that I ate anything with tomato sauce on it."
] |
>
Not unpopular. Nausea is a signal from your body that something is wrong. Puking is the likely result of that ie the all clear. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol",
">\n\nWeird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.\nI also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point.",
">\n\nThe best feeling in the world is the second you finish throwing up and are finished.\nGoing back to bed covered in sweat, shivering but completely calm stomached? Perfect sleep.",
">\n\nDoes thc help your nausea?",
">\n\ndread vs catharsis",
">\n\nThrowing up usually results in my discomfort going away. \nIf the nausea gets too painful I’ll try and throw up because usually it allows me to be comfortable enough to then fall asleep again.",
">\n\nbroh i always preffer the ehadache over the diziness the confusion. the desperation",
">\n\n9 months of constant nausea with my last child and gods Forbid that I ate anything with tomato sauce on it.",
">\n\nI have to agree. Every time I’m hungover and try to ride the waves of nausea I feel so much better once I just get it over with and throw up."
] |
>
Throwing up is objectively the worse physical sensation but it do make me feel better so I'll take the short term awful in exchange for the long term no more Tummy hurt any day | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol",
">\n\nWeird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.\nI also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point.",
">\n\nThe best feeling in the world is the second you finish throwing up and are finished.\nGoing back to bed covered in sweat, shivering but completely calm stomached? Perfect sleep.",
">\n\nDoes thc help your nausea?",
">\n\ndread vs catharsis",
">\n\nThrowing up usually results in my discomfort going away. \nIf the nausea gets too painful I’ll try and throw up because usually it allows me to be comfortable enough to then fall asleep again.",
">\n\nbroh i always preffer the ehadache over the diziness the confusion. the desperation",
">\n\n9 months of constant nausea with my last child and gods Forbid that I ate anything with tomato sauce on it.",
">\n\nI have to agree. Every time I’m hungover and try to ride the waves of nausea I feel so much better once I just get it over with and throw up.",
">\n\nNot unpopular. Nausea is a signal from your body that something is wrong. Puking is the likely result of that ie the all clear."
] |
>
Nausea is definitely worse because you feel sick for a long stretch of time were as with throwing up you feel better immediately afterwards | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol",
">\n\nWeird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.\nI also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point.",
">\n\nThe best feeling in the world is the second you finish throwing up and are finished.\nGoing back to bed covered in sweat, shivering but completely calm stomached? Perfect sleep.",
">\n\nDoes thc help your nausea?",
">\n\ndread vs catharsis",
">\n\nThrowing up usually results in my discomfort going away. \nIf the nausea gets too painful I’ll try and throw up because usually it allows me to be comfortable enough to then fall asleep again.",
">\n\nbroh i always preffer the ehadache over the diziness the confusion. the desperation",
">\n\n9 months of constant nausea with my last child and gods Forbid that I ate anything with tomato sauce on it.",
">\n\nI have to agree. Every time I’m hungover and try to ride the waves of nausea I feel so much better once I just get it over with and throw up.",
">\n\nNot unpopular. Nausea is a signal from your body that something is wrong. Puking is the likely result of that ie the all clear.",
">\n\nThrowing up is objectively the worse physical sensation but it do make me feel better so I'll take the short term awful in exchange for the long term no more Tummy hurt any day"
] |
>
If I feel like I need to throw up (nauseous) I'll make myself throw up. 99% of the time I feel way better afterwards. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol",
">\n\nWeird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.\nI also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point.",
">\n\nThe best feeling in the world is the second you finish throwing up and are finished.\nGoing back to bed covered in sweat, shivering but completely calm stomached? Perfect sleep.",
">\n\nDoes thc help your nausea?",
">\n\ndread vs catharsis",
">\n\nThrowing up usually results in my discomfort going away. \nIf the nausea gets too painful I’ll try and throw up because usually it allows me to be comfortable enough to then fall asleep again.",
">\n\nbroh i always preffer the ehadache over the diziness the confusion. the desperation",
">\n\n9 months of constant nausea with my last child and gods Forbid that I ate anything with tomato sauce on it.",
">\n\nI have to agree. Every time I’m hungover and try to ride the waves of nausea I feel so much better once I just get it over with and throw up.",
">\n\nNot unpopular. Nausea is a signal from your body that something is wrong. Puking is the likely result of that ie the all clear.",
">\n\nThrowing up is objectively the worse physical sensation but it do make me feel better so I'll take the short term awful in exchange for the long term no more Tummy hurt any day",
">\n\nNausea is definitely worse because you feel sick for a long stretch of time were as with throwing up you feel better immediately afterwards"
] |
>
100% agree. At least vomiting ends, nausea just lingers. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol",
">\n\nWeird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.\nI also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point.",
">\n\nThe best feeling in the world is the second you finish throwing up and are finished.\nGoing back to bed covered in sweat, shivering but completely calm stomached? Perfect sleep.",
">\n\nDoes thc help your nausea?",
">\n\ndread vs catharsis",
">\n\nThrowing up usually results in my discomfort going away. \nIf the nausea gets too painful I’ll try and throw up because usually it allows me to be comfortable enough to then fall asleep again.",
">\n\nbroh i always preffer the ehadache over the diziness the confusion. the desperation",
">\n\n9 months of constant nausea with my last child and gods Forbid that I ate anything with tomato sauce on it.",
">\n\nI have to agree. Every time I’m hungover and try to ride the waves of nausea I feel so much better once I just get it over with and throw up.",
">\n\nNot unpopular. Nausea is a signal from your body that something is wrong. Puking is the likely result of that ie the all clear.",
">\n\nThrowing up is objectively the worse physical sensation but it do make me feel better so I'll take the short term awful in exchange for the long term no more Tummy hurt any day",
">\n\nNausea is definitely worse because you feel sick for a long stretch of time were as with throwing up you feel better immediately afterwards",
">\n\nIf I feel like I need to throw up (nauseous) I'll make myself throw up. 99% of the time I feel way better afterwards."
] |
>
Totally agree. I was nauseous for the entire 9 months of my pregnancy and it was extremely debilitating. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol",
">\n\nWeird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.\nI also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point.",
">\n\nThe best feeling in the world is the second you finish throwing up and are finished.\nGoing back to bed covered in sweat, shivering but completely calm stomached? Perfect sleep.",
">\n\nDoes thc help your nausea?",
">\n\ndread vs catharsis",
">\n\nThrowing up usually results in my discomfort going away. \nIf the nausea gets too painful I’ll try and throw up because usually it allows me to be comfortable enough to then fall asleep again.",
">\n\nbroh i always preffer the ehadache over the diziness the confusion. the desperation",
">\n\n9 months of constant nausea with my last child and gods Forbid that I ate anything with tomato sauce on it.",
">\n\nI have to agree. Every time I’m hungover and try to ride the waves of nausea I feel so much better once I just get it over with and throw up.",
">\n\nNot unpopular. Nausea is a signal from your body that something is wrong. Puking is the likely result of that ie the all clear.",
">\n\nThrowing up is objectively the worse physical sensation but it do make me feel better so I'll take the short term awful in exchange for the long term no more Tummy hurt any day",
">\n\nNausea is definitely worse because you feel sick for a long stretch of time were as with throwing up you feel better immediately afterwards",
">\n\nIf I feel like I need to throw up (nauseous) I'll make myself throw up. 99% of the time I feel way better afterwards.",
">\n\n100% agree. At least vomiting ends, nausea just lingers."
] |
>
Well, throwing up is how your body solves (or not) the problem causing nausea, so it makes perfect sense. | [
"I completely agree. Being nauseous and feeling like you're holding back the throw up is horrible, the constant mouth watering. Worried you're going to puke in public.\nThrowing up becomes a relief to some extent. At least you don't normally feel nauseous for a short time after.",
">\n\nThe last time I threw up then the nausea went away right away so it seemed like a good thing",
">\n\nI was one time so nauseous that I sat by the toilet for hours expecting to throw up. I didn't, so I drove myself to the emergency room. Turned out I had appendicitis. My body just translated the pain to nausea.",
">\n\nI just got my appendix removed last week! Surgery was fine but pretty jarring. The healing process has been AWFUL.",
">\n\nI walked out in about half a week (they put me in long-term care and I couldn't stand it), though I walked with a limp for a week.",
">\n\nIf you don’t mind me asking, did you get the surgery where they cut once or 3 individual incisions?",
">\n\nOnce, I think (I was knocked out at the time).\n\nJust so you know, I heal quickly with everything.",
">\n\nThe shittiness of nausea is seriously underrated. One of the worst feelings. Of course there are different types of nausea, some worse than others.\nI was nauseous every day for an entire year. It fucking sucked.",
">\n\nAs someone with cyclic vomiting syndrome I 100% agree. I'd rather vomit and make the nausea stop than sit with nausea and fight the urge. Unfortunately for me my condition doesn't work that way lol",
">\n\nWeird how this pops up after I've just woken up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and anxious that I'm going to throw up.\nI also have emetophobia and holy crap does it suck. I hate the anxiety of wondering when I'm gonna throw up, it's torturous at this point.",
">\n\nThe best feeling in the world is the second you finish throwing up and are finished.\nGoing back to bed covered in sweat, shivering but completely calm stomached? Perfect sleep.",
">\n\nDoes thc help your nausea?",
">\n\ndread vs catharsis",
">\n\nThrowing up usually results in my discomfort going away. \nIf the nausea gets too painful I’ll try and throw up because usually it allows me to be comfortable enough to then fall asleep again.",
">\n\nbroh i always preffer the ehadache over the diziness the confusion. the desperation",
">\n\n9 months of constant nausea with my last child and gods Forbid that I ate anything with tomato sauce on it.",
">\n\nI have to agree. Every time I’m hungover and try to ride the waves of nausea I feel so much better once I just get it over with and throw up.",
">\n\nNot unpopular. Nausea is a signal from your body that something is wrong. Puking is the likely result of that ie the all clear.",
">\n\nThrowing up is objectively the worse physical sensation but it do make me feel better so I'll take the short term awful in exchange for the long term no more Tummy hurt any day",
">\n\nNausea is definitely worse because you feel sick for a long stretch of time were as with throwing up you feel better immediately afterwards",
">\n\nIf I feel like I need to throw up (nauseous) I'll make myself throw up. 99% of the time I feel way better afterwards.",
">\n\n100% agree. At least vomiting ends, nausea just lingers.",
">\n\nTotally agree. I was nauseous for the entire 9 months of my pregnancy and it was extremely debilitating."
] |
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