>

This is the stage that conservatives stop talking about this and quickly pivot to the next culture war topic.
“conservatives” are nothing more than hysterical reactionaries at this point. >

For sure. Had Biden ordered it shot down over land they’d just switch and be outraged at the risk he took with American lives and any destruction of property. >

Shooting it down over Alaska or even Montana probably would’ve been a fine call. But yes, you are definitely correct, there will always be the people that just can’t be satisfied no matter what happens. That issue stems far outside of politics. >

My guess is they wanted it relatively intact. In the video it looks like they just deflated the balloon part and dropped the control unit into the ocean for recovery. 
I feel like waiting until it was over the ocean prevented catastrophic damage to the technology on board when they shot it down. >

Falling from 50 thousand feet or whatever, I would think hitting the ocean would be as catastrophic to the equipment as hitting land,  and then it's in salt water until recovery. 
But at least it won't land on someone's house, car, head, etc. >

If they’d shot it down over land the debris would’ve been on eBay before the recovery crew had reached the site. >

Jokes on them I’m diving the wreckage right now >

Stop it James Cameron. I don’t want to watch a 3 hour love story about the balloon. >

I would, guy knows how to tell amazing stories! >

“God himself could not shoot down this balloon.”
“Jack, I’m flying!”
“I don’t know about you, but I intend to write a strongly worded letter to the People’s Liberation Army Air Force about all of this.”
“But this balloon can’t sink!”
“It’s made of plastic, sir, I assure you it can.” >

And he never told us. Color me shocked >

"I don't want to scare the people" -fucking bozo >

After telling the entire country that it's doomed every other day for 4+ years nonetheless. >

Everyone was so excited have a powerful politician in charge. And then when nothing got better that powerful politician and his electorate blamed an unelecyshadow government... It's nuts... >


Everyone was so excited have a powerful politician in charge.

That is a curious revision of events. >

I'm guessing the "everyone" they're talking about there is all the Trump supporters >

Trump let 3 of them just go right on through but they forget to mention that. >

I think the point is if you are going to blame someone for 1, then someone who allowed 3 should get more blame.
I don't think it's actually serious from OP. >

My point is we should reject the premise.  The fault lies with the country that violated our airspace.
Republicans trying to turn this in to Biden's fault are misdirecting the conversation and responding to them about Trump is to fall for that trick. >

We agree, but that only works with people that aren't morons. If it's something someone "cares" about, it's appropriate to point out that it doesn't actually matter because someone they'll defend over it actually "was worse".
You can reject the premise while doing that.
That being said, there are two faults - the perpetrator and the reactor. You can't be blamed for the balloon existing, but you can be criticized for failing to react adequately to it, if it's something worth being criticized for.
I don't think this is, but the attempt to label this as "victim blaming" is just naive when it comes to geopolitics. >

You could certainly argue that to act decisively might have been to take it down sooner.  But I think putting the pressure on China by very publicly humiliating them over this stupid attempt for several days was the better strategic move.
You're right though about idiots.  Even on the off chance that my original comment represented some kind of defense for Trump (it doesn't) it needs to be downvoted immediately.
I stepped out of line by framing a conversation as anything other than partisan. >

I didn't take it as such, and I think we agree on the whole - just unfortunately we have people with fewer brain cells to worry about as well 🙂 >

Post this on r/conservative and see how fast you get the ban >

Ugh, every once in a while I decide to take a stroll through that sub, and I regret it every time. >

I’m banned for a comment saying that there’s bigger problems in America than that one woman’s soccer team captain that’s politically active. This was in 2020 >

Yeah. I don’t think I’ll ever comment there. I don’t want to be banned because I do like to venture over there every once in a while. >

Oh you can still go after getting banned you just can’t comment >

Oh really? Well I guess I'll take some comment suggestions to get me banned! >

Mildly praise anything considered left-leaning or slightly criticize anything right-leaning. That’s all it takes >

Well with record job growth, they’ve got to latch onto something to blame Biden for… >

I mean, yeah, conservatives are hysterical, but it works. Every time:
Event happens
Conservative conspiracy circles start spinning
Fox News picks it up and runs with it 24/7
CNN joins in to avoid being called biased
Everyone else starts talking about it
Every. Fucking. Time.
Caravans. Economy. China. Fentanyl. Crime Rates. Border. Round and round we go. >

One more thing: They take whatever it is, say that it's Biden's fault. Then we take the bait and say no it's Trump.
The Chinese violated our airspace, privacy and security.  They are responsible for that behavior and they are to blame.
Biden didn't allow this to happen.  The responsibility is with China, full stop.  Don't get sucked in to our broken domestic rhetoric at the expense of geopolitics.
If another nation can commit a flagrant violation and the result is Americans blame one another instead of that nation we're utterly fucked. >

I agree.
Not working together as a team is what’s unAmerican. >

Bigly fake news. Donald and his large brain scared away China balloons. They never heard of balloons until me Donald Trump showed them balloons. /s >

He secretly swatted them away with them giant hands of his. He didn’t mention it because he’s super humble. Probably the most humblest president ever. >

If it wasn’t for all those horrible cancer causing windmills, the balloons never would have gotten sucked over here. 
It’s just adding to what my good friend Herschel Walker called “their bad air got to move” problem >

Oh I'm sure now that the information came out, truly they will take back their criticisms or they will go after trump. What's what? GOP will just pretend it did not happen and just go after Biden still while praising trump? Ohh right, that sounds correct. >

And he never shot them down. Why is trump so weak? >

They call Biden weak on China, while Trump patted Xi on the back and congratulated him for handling the early pandemic so well. He could have demanded we be allowed to investigate the lab and wet market but instead chose to flatter the dictator. 
Biden remains the only president to promise Taiwan military intervention if China attacks them. >

Biden has made some ballsy choices in a way that you'd think conservatives would idolize. Chinese civilian balloon? Fuck that, you're lying. We're gonna shoot it down, collect the scraps, and tell the world what we find. Do something about it.
Oh, Russia invading Ukraine? We'll share our intelligence with Ukraine and tell the world. Do something about it, Putin. You won't. 
I could never in a million years imagine our last idiot do a fraction of this. >

They turned themselves into a bunch of dorks who think they’re braveheart. Weak >

And they just ignore that the military had clearance since Wednesday to shoot it down. They choose to not risk hurting anyone >

The kicker to all of this is that it was probably a reasonable decision to not shoot them down.  The shitty part is the hypocrisy.  Calling on the current administration to do something that you whipped the public in to believing, that you know is a dumb decision, is just an attack on America. >

The other kicker.... it's just a research balloon!   Like if there is THIS much concern over it all of a sudden, what are you doing/saying about all the China spy satellite's looking down on us 24/7 with pinpoint precision?     
Oh, but a balloon that can only go in the direction of the wind is much more concerning. >

Twitter people said it was so they could see our nuclear silos with greater detail. 
When told they were underground, he said they were to see how thick the doors were. >

They were Huge.   Greatest balloons ever. >

Though the question is…. does the balloon know a lot of words? >

This photo is underrated. >

I doubt the hypocrisy will stop the GOP from yelping about the ballon.  They are simply a living, walking caldron of hypocrisy these days- just look at all the bullshit they whine about only to have done it ten times worse themselves!
I’ve come to the conclusion that Republican politicians today are simply irredeemable, and will do just about anything and say anything to get their mugs on Fox for two minutes.  They are not serious lawmakers or leaders. >

So Tom cotton goes on Fox News and wants people to believe that some rednecks in Montana were the first ones to see this balloon, he said they knew about it before cia, fbi, military. The guy needs to be removed from the committee he is. He gets intelligence on this and goes on tv purposely spreading lies. He is a commie traitor >

The DOD probably knows where everything of this size is in the air on the entire planet and in space at all times.