comment: >
  
  I don't think that's a very strong argument, assuming that as the proponents believe UFOs demonstrate capabilities that would require a new and radical understanding of basic physical laws. 
  I'm talking about capabilities such as near-instantaneous changes of direction at high velocity, and the ability to detect and avoid every single one of the tens of billions of high-definition cameras all over the planet.
context: Reading through this news article, pulled the following out:
  "I've met with scientists, some of the top people in the world, that tell me that we have extraterrestrial craft in our airspace on a regular basis,” Burchett added."
  What scientists? >
  
  This part bothers me:
  
  NASA has selected 16 individuals to participate in its independent study team on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). Observations of events in the sky that cannot be identified as aircraft or as known natural phenomena are categorized as UAPs.
  
  The word, phenomena, is the plural of *phenomenon. so why add the ‘s’ for the plural?  It is a UAP. They are UAP. It’s still UAP, either way!  
  Grrr.  I expect more from NASA. >
  
  Hey NASA scientists do math, not do English. >
  
  Why use big word when math do? >
  
  i yearn for the days when republicans were just "ha ha" crazy >
  
  I wouldn’t rule out anything. If you have experienced naval aviators making some of the observations. Not only are the qualified to fly a jet, many have degrees in physics and engineering. If they can’t explain something, I’m inclined to listen to what they have to say. 
  It could be new tech that the world hasn’t seen yet. Imagine the stealth bomber being seen for the first time. A big triangle gliding across the sky and it also has a tiny radar signature. Back in the 70s, that could be interpreted as a UFO. 
  If it extraterrestrials, there is next to nothing we can actually do about it. Just by reaching our planet from another star their technology is hundreds of years ahead of ours. Defending against that level of technology would be like trying to defend against the US military with muskets and cannonballs. >
  
  If they're smart enough to figure out a way to make FTL travel feasible, they're smart enough to already have overcome any shortages that would motivate aggressive expansion. Considering the amounts of energy needed, by comparison there is absolutely nothing Earth would offer, and thus there's no reason whatsoever to invade, and basically only curiosity left to drive exploration. 
  Unless, of course, they're here to mate with us and are somewhat confused about what's the correct hole to probe. That's more like a "burn all xeno scum" situation, alright. Or not at all, tastes differ. Anyway, what's up with Americans and their fears of alien invasions? Why is that the first thing that comes to mind? Must be some weird projections going on. Well, as demonstrated above, rest assured that any aliens coming to visit are very unlikely to be ressource-hungry land grabbers driven by their unsustainable economy. >
  
  Obviously you weren't in America when independence day the movie dropped. The hit film with aliens and will Smith. Every American left that movie feeling more American and ready to fight aliens.
  I'm halfway joking, but we have/make a lot of alien movies. >
  
  To me it seems more like you're making the same movie over and over again. >
  
  They are very similar. I don't watch a ton of alien movies personally, but people literally clapped and cheered during independence day at my random movie theater. I've never seen that happen again. Americans love to feel like they can kick anyone's ass, including aliens. >
  
  Some of these sightings have multiple sources: radar, visuals and radar by pilots, and in many cases simultaneous sighting by individuals on the ground. >
  
  “Believes,” “thinks,” “says,” yada yada yada.  This has been going on for decades, and not a single goddamned shred of physical evidence, not a single unambiguous photograph, and not a single known non-terrestrial craft, from anywhere, at any time, in any country, anywhere on the entire planet.  
  I ate this shit up when I was young, but I am officially sick to death of hearing speculation and wishful thinking.  
  ETs are right there with the Loch Ness monster, Bigfoot, Chupacabra, and Bat Boy. >
  
  Intelligent swamp gas and time travelers. >
  
  My money is heavily on optical illusions or natural causes.  Aliens is not on the table.  Ultra secret testing is also highly unlikely. The simplest and most boring explanation is usually the correct one. >
  
  Pretty outdated view, theres a lot of sources from governments confirming not only the existence of UFO/UAP but verifying that there is no known explaination.  Also direct observations of manuverability and perpulsion that is far beyond our current capabilities.  Highly unlikely that natural phenomina is performing flight manuvers that are not possible with the most advanced tech known.  Optical illusions would not be showing up on radar and ir sensors.  Heres one such article >
  
  
  UFO/UAP
  
  Yeah, unidentified.  That does not mean its not an optical illusion or natural.  The article you linked makes no mention of radar signatures.  Also doesn't mean its not a sensor issue either.  
  
  Atmospheric conditions, "airborne clutter" and pilot misperception could also be factors, it said.
  
  Yeah.  So not outdated view.  Its still overwhelmingly likely to be optical illusion, natural phenomenon and/or sensor errors. >
  
  I like how he claims it’s highly unlikely to be naturally occurring illusions (of which there are many known occurrences of) and so reaches the conclusion that it’s intergalactic aliens who’ve flown all the way to Earth to… observe? But only when no one’s looking their way with HD cameras. 
  Like, on the balance of probabilities, I’m going with the non alien option. >
  
  I'm going with non alients, too. I doubt aliens who had the intelligence and fuel capabilities to get to planet Earth would be playing hide and seek with humans. >
  
  TLDR:
  Still not aliens >
  
  I am less afraid of aliens than members of my own species. >
  
  Fear of rightwing nutcases is a lot like fear of spiders, yes some are deadly but generally speaking you scare them 10x more than they scare you. >
  
  More likely to "make you hurt yourself" (by your reaction) that to actually hurt you. >
  
  Aren't there tons of satellites watching the earth at all times? How would a spaceship just sneak into the planet? >
  
  I mean, we know China and Russia are developing hypersonic missiles but we do not have literal images, notes, etc. on their development. It's not a reach to think they could be developing advanced drone systems that are highly experimental that we don't have eyes on via satellites >
  
  I was thinking weather satellites. There are a bunch of them just looking at the earth all day every day and they can see almost a whole hemisphere at a time. >
  
  My guess is different satellites are tuned to grab images/data w/ different granularity. Just because it’s watching an area doesn’t mean it would be able to pick something up >
  
  I mean...hes not wrong. Even from a non little green men stand point, there are objects that US pilots have seen that are able to outrun interceptors and "play" w/ naval ships. That by itself is concerning. These could be new techs that are being developed that we, and him as a random congressman, wouldn't have knowledge of. However, on it's face, this is a serious issue that gets joked about a lot but clearly is not a product of peoples imaginations >
  
  It could be extraterrestrial in origin. How the fuck do you turn sharply at a 90 degree angle like that with a high rate of velocity? I doubt we are advanced enough to have figured out how to cancel inertia.
  Talking about the tic tac toe video he was referencing in the article. >
  
  The thing is, if you allow that extraterrestrial aircraft can do that, then you must allow that it's possible for humans to develop an aircraft that can do that too.
  The mere act of acknowledging the possibility of aliens means you must also acknowledge the possibility of non-aliens. But the reverse isn't true, because turning sharply like that isn't necessarily going to get you between star systems.
  So we have no evidence whatsoever of the existence of aliens, and we must acknowledge the possibility that humans have developed aircraft like this in secret. >
  
  I'm not sure I agree with your premise that if extraterrestrial life can do something, then humans could also do the same thing given enough time. >
  
  ...do the laws of physics work differently in other areas of the universe? Do aircraft built in those areas retain their abilities when they move to our area of the universe?
  If it can be done, it can be done. If it cannot be done, it cannot be done. There's very little justification for the belief that some technology is even hypothetically possible for one civilization and not hypothetically possible for another. >
  
  I keep wanting to add a “yet” to your statements. I also find your implied claim that humans know all there is to know rather disturbing. >
  
  
  I also find your implied claim that humans know all there is to know rather disturbing.
  
  I did not claim that, and you will never hear me claim that.
  I am claiming that if it is possible for an alien civilization to do, then it follows that it is hypothetically possible for humans to do.
  I did not claim that humans do have the necessary knowledge to do so. I am saying that you cannot prove that humans do not have the knowledge to do so.
  And then I claimed that we have no evidence of the existence of alien civilizations, much less civilizations with superior technology. 
  That's powerful evidence that these craft are not extraterrestrial. We must acknowledge that, given the local laws of physics, anything that is possible is possible independent of who's creating it (provided they have the requisite knowledge to make it), that we have no evidence of technologically superior civilizations that would have the knowledge where we don't, and that these craft are appearing here, where the only civilization we have any evidence of is us.