>

It’s almost as if someone wanted to overshadow the incredibly strong economic achievements of the Biden administration. Haven’t heard a thing about it since…
Maybe we should send a super sophisticated "weather" balloon over China and see what they do with it. >

Make it shaped like Winnie the Pooh >

I support this idea with my tax dollars. >

The 9.2 trillion dollar balloon was inflated by Raytheon. >

I wonder how they'd feel about America letting one of those ballons float over to China? Probably not too thrilled. >

Are satellites not a thing anymore?  What are we all excited about? >

In one of the many posts about this someone was commenting that because of the lower altitude they would be able to “scan” deeper into the crust. The theory makes sense but idk if it checks out. >

I’m confident enough in our military (the seeming one competent government institution) that if there was any real additional risk allowing it to continue as opposed to taking the balloon our days ago, then they would have taken it out days ago.
Really not sure where this story arc is going though tbh. Recent news they may have sent three during the last administration?  Maybe they allowed it to go just to see how China would react? There was some rationale to not taking it out before, curious as to what that is >

If they just took it out right away, the Chinese would get to see our standard response time, tactics, and monitor our comms while we do it. By delaying we got to feed them false information, observe their technological capabilities, potentially identify who they were communicating with, and more. 
Even as it was, the Chinese no doubt got some info on the F22 and the sidewinder. >

Also if the US shot it down immediately, it would be a side story that lasts a day tops. The US can milk this story internationally for days and make it the headline for other countries to be aware of the antics that China pulls. US let it traverse and linger over military sites as a way of further evidence that this was no ordinary balloon. >

Except it probably really was just a weather balloon 🙄 gotta spew the pro-war propaganda
Haha everyone downvoted me because they want to see war. How sad >

And what does China propose as an appropriate reaction beyond letting it linger for a week and shooting it down over the water as it is apparently out of control? >

If it was over the water, then that means it has completely drifted over the states, right?
Any information it could have theoretically collected if it was a spy balloon is complete. We could have just let it keep drifting since the United States apparently failed miserably to stop a balloon that can be seen with the naked eye on the ground. >

What are you arguing here? That the most advanced and well funded military on the planet was unable to deal with a balloon?
Please take your tinfoil hat off for a moment and consider that perhaps the US military took steps that we civilians couldn't see, and that they waited til it was over the water so it didn't cause any damage or kill someone by landing on them. >

Not to mention it's probably be easier to recover and study the wreckage when you don't have to comb through miles of grassland for it >

You think it's easier to recover electronic equipment from the bottom of the ocean than from a dry grassy plain? >

It landed in 47 feet of water, and a lot of those parts wouldn't likely sink immediately. >

Nuts here! Dry roasted nuts here! What's that thing in the sky, it looks like a long, hard... >

No dumbass, declaring war for invading our airspace would be an overreaction. >

Aw we hurt Pooh's feelings he can't see our honey stockpiles anymore >

Oh the theater of it all >

The balloon had a device though! And we didn't know what it was. 
WW3 started over top secret China spy balloon. 
WW4 started over an 8-track tape. >


A-Track tape

dont you mean an 8-track tape? >

WW5- Revenge of the laserdisc >

WW6 - Return of the Bluray >

Maybe the US should return the favour and lets see how China responds? >

The thing is China already thinks the US has returned the favor tenfold with American military presence all around China. The panic this caused some people in the US is the same panic some in people in China have felt for decades... Putin is another person who likely feels the same way and even claims it's a reason why he invaded Ukraine. >

We aren't actually in or over China though. Just nearby. It's like if we freaked out because China had dealings with the Bahamas or Costa Rica >

It's hard to sympathize with China, considering how politically aggressive they've been in the past decade >

I hope it doesn't seem like I'm sympathizing. I'm mainly pointing out that people's reaction of political aggression towards the balloon is analogous to China's own political aggression which you're right has been ongoing for the past decade plus >

Weren’t we doing them a favor, by stopping their “out of control weather balloon”? >

What worries me the most about this whole story is, why would China ever admit the balloon was theirs? They could just stay silent and deny, and people would start blaming Russia eventually >

They know we know, they just want to use it as propaganda to rile their people up for war. Our intelligence already publicly told us to expect one by 2025. >

Source? >

That prediction is widely considered to be sensationalism. As an outsider there's no better way to drum up support than with a good old fear mongering campaign.
There is no upshot to a war between super powers. Could it happen? Sure, but there's no actual evidence, and doing it would be stupid. Like, world endingly stupid. >

And it is important to note that a war between China and the U.S. would be devastating to both economies and the world economy. Which I believe creates a strong deference. >

They clearly didn’t like it, y’all must have done the right thing >

China can go fuck itself. The US government allowed that balloon to travel across the entire country, in US airspace, until it got far enough into the Atlantic to intercept, lessening the chance of anyone getting hurt or killed. >

It was probably trailed or circled by E-3s or something to black out its transmission capability. I bet china got nothing after it entered our airspace.  Even a picture of Winnie the Pooh. >

Bet. They're probably upset that it was jammed the whole way over then downed before the big upload after they left the mainland >

Suck our dongs CCP >

China got outplayed politically here as the U.S. let the balloon fly over the whole country before it was shot down over water in U.S. airspace. Any condemnation of U.S. action sounds laughable at this point.
Their own propaganda machine had to flip the script on "look how aggressive the U.S. is" to "look at the weak U.S. who can't even shoot down this balloon for days" when we didn't shoot it down in Alaska like they thought we would. >

Upon learning of the ballon's destruction, he was quoted as saying "oh bother...." >

“Hey general Piglet (Kim Jong Un), get me some more honey will ya? And don’t eat it, I know you like to eat” >

Yes, reaction to something that was over the United States. >

Everyones an expert except the experts. 🙄 >

Nice alliteration >

Cool he won't mind then if we send some of our own. >

The word “attack” seems rich. Why wouldn’t countries feel threatened by this? Suddenly balloons are spotted in the western hemisphere, found to have some measure of maneuverability, and everyone’s supposed to be cool with that? China being butt hurt when a country moves to protect itself is laughable. They overstep their bounds constantly just to be abrasive and see what they can get away with because of their leadership’s overblown ego. Drives me nuts that the world’s population constantly has to be subjected to horrible egomaniacal leaders. >

Like they'd have taken as long to do the same thing, they can shut the right the hell up. >

Well, we do like our target practice. Thanks for the target? >

Not sure what they’re upset about, after all we shot it down after it flew over the country, so they got all their data anyway >

Should have been popped as soon as it entered U.S. airspace. >

That's a great tactic to start a war - send a spy plane/drone into your enemy's airspace, wait for them to shoot it down and then cry about how wrong it is. It's just like Russia - invade another country and then call the rest of the world Nazis because they're supplying weapons to the victims of the invasion. >

Possibly the reason for the delay. If we didn't shoot it down upon immediate entry into our airspace but instead on the way out, it's harder to construe as an aggressive action. >

You’re just sorry because you got caught >

So that’s where Russia learned that. >

China Cries & Whines when the U. S. dares to sail outside their coastal exclusion zone, yet feels it's perfectly OK to violate our air space? Double Standard Much! >

A condemnation by a psychotic genocidal totalitarian government is basically a compliment, so.. thanks? >

We should send them the bill… >

China can bite my fucking ass >

They were testing what our response would be. >

Yeah so now they know that if they send a nuclear warhead by missile, we’ll shoot it down, but if they send it by balloon, we’ll let it float to wherever they want to drop it. >

"Lets drop just 1 nuke on the US to piss them off"
-No one ever
If a super power nukes a super power they're sending hundreds, and neither country will exist afterwards. >

“Let’s take this Reddit comment about a balloon nuke as a serious strategic suggestion” - no one ever (except you) >

If it was just a weather balloon or something then I'd guess they wouldn't care.
If they have to "condemn" it as an attack they were clearly up to some dodgy shit >

They didn't "condemn" the attack. They asked for a non-aggressive resolution to this.
We launched a $400,000 missile at it to blow it up and Xi basically said, "Well that was excessive." >

Might as well have some target practice. >

I know, right? Hitting it with the JDAM would have been cooler AND wouldn't have spread debris in an 11 mile radius.
Probably would have preserved the "spy" device better too. >

I mean, technically invading our airspace is an act of war so I'd say they underreacted. >

Republicans have already invited the Chinese spy balloon to CPAC and announced its run for Speaker of the House. >

Shit when did the balloon switch parties? >

Fuck this Winnie the Pooh looking guy >

Did I already say, fuck the CCP?
If not, then let me say, fuck the CCP. >

Grass mud horse covering the middle. >

Are you from Kentucky or can you translate to English?
Edit:  Or both? >

It's from an art piece by AI Weiwei, a Chinese dissident, and the name is a pun where if you change the tones in Chinese the meaning is "fuck your mother, CCP central committee" >

PBUY >

So the US can send a balloon too and you wont mind? >

China always tries to play the victim in these sorts of things, honestly it is just simple shortsighted statecraft. No one believes what China is saying is genuine, they are just mad that they got caught and their shiny toys got ruined. Honestly they are like the kid that will constantly poke at someone and play the victim when that someone does something about it. >

I wonder how difficult a basic weather balloon is to make (just the balloon part, not the actual data collection stuff) assuming the fabric and construction is pretty straightforward and easy to obtain. I wonder if it would be possible to make one using a scaled up pattern for a stuffed Winnie the Pooh bear.
Also where would it have to be released in the US to make it to China? >

Whatsa matter, we burst your bubble-I mean, balloon??  WHAAAAA!!!!!!!!!! >

Eat our whole ass, Pooh. >


China condemns US ‘attack’ on surveillance balloon as ‘overreaction’

It took the decision long enough, so I guess the Chinese got more surveillance than they originally thought. >

If it was just a weather balloon why not just go ahead and give it the vent command. The way it was steered was by either gaining or losing altitude to use the winds. If it can do that it can also land >

Shouldn't be flying there shit over our country! >

It should have never happened, borders open and now air space?! Wtf is going on here >

Lol >

'The last guy let us get away with it!' - The Chinese, probably... >

Shouldn’t be over U.S.A. land, we had the right to shoot it down >

To be fair, using a $400k missile to pop a balloon is a bit overkill. >

How can you call it an 'overreaction'... have you met America? You always knew we were gonna shoot it. We were never not gonna shoot it. Don't take it personally, China, it's not you, it's us, and we shoot stuff. >

After Trump let 3 of them fly over America and hit it, and did nothing about them i guess they thought Biden would do the same. >

I never heard about that?! >

Am I missing something, nothing in the article about prior balloons during the Trump tenure in that link >

"The official said Chinese balloons briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration."
I guess this is the quote they're referencing. >

Ah ok thanks >

That’s some serious small dick energy out of the Chinese government. Don’t know if they realize that >

It's normal dick energy to them.... >

Dear CCP,
Get fucked. 
V/R, America. 
P.S. Get Fucked >

How dare they stop us from spying on them?! >

Stop sending us your trash Pooh bear! >

The only bad thing about this is that we waited until it had crossed THE ENTIRE COUNTRY before shooting it down. If it was a spy satellite, it was already done with it's job. >

😂😂. How would china have reacted?  Hippocrates. >

Hypocrites, lol. >

Winnie the Pooh condemns saying goodnight, permanently, to his Chinese Spy Balloon. >

What I do not understand is that China could use satellites, spyware, or actual spies to spy on USA - why the heck would they use a damn weather balloon that everyone can see?! 
Shit is so rudimentary and obvious >

we dont know for sure that is was indeed a spy balloon yet though. they could be conducting a multiyear, or decades long test on weather patterns or something. ad even though they stole most of our tech, we still are not the only sophisticated country on this planet.
but i do not like how they invade our airspace without saying or asking etc. to me, they should have known it was going to get shot down. to me, its all theatere tbfh >

Man if only the US had scientists that studied the weather that they could coordinate their research with. >

Welp, time to bring the SR-71 out of retirement and back to Kadena. >

And if we sent a ‘weather balloon’ over China what would their reaction be ?
They’re protesting waaaaay too much about it, they’re overly angry about a “weather balloon” that entered US airspace. >

China would just shoot it down and put it in one of their military museums for public display. Which they did along with all the other US equipment they shot down over the years, and you can still visit it today. Not the first rodeo for everyone >

Shut up Winnie. We'll decide that once we check out what equipment was onboard. >

Now imagine Winnie Xi Poo's reaction if it were reversed.... >

Fuck communism >

It ain't. >

Fuck this, man! China ever play a Sid Meier Civ game? They were all over our honeycombs >

What do they care? It was just an errant civilian weather balloon, right? RIGHT?? >

Shooting it with a Rocket is an overreaction. A toothpick dart would have done it. >

Wait, so they’re admitting to having spy balloons over the US now? >

Well they’ve admitted to the balloon I. question yes, but are claiming it was for “meteorological” purposes. sure. >

And if we send a thing into your airspace without clearing it with you, you'd be cool with that. Right? >

I can’t help but wonder why they waited so long to shoot it down. >

Bahahahahah get bent >

Wake me up when China isn't condemning something. >

You know what we should do
We should send tens of thousands of mylar balloons into their airspace just to fuck with their air traffic control and ground flights and stuff. For "meteorological research". 
That would be hilarious. Imagine their "overreaction" >

Ecological warfare. Feels like a war crime. How many endangered animals did you want to drive extinct for nationalistic pride and geopolitical Brinkmanship?
The US is the big kid on the block with big dick energy. WTF should we care when little dick energy Xi throws a paper airplane? >

I'm no expert on war crimes but I think the reason for that is cos releasing a bunch of helium in your own country and which only negatively affects yourself due to poor planning is very difficult to be considered an act of war >

Let's just send the B21 to fly over Beijing. >

Methinks you’re overreacting Winnie … >

He can suck it. >

Uncle Xi say, “Oh my god, waaaaaa is da beeg probrem? it’s just a Ritter barrrooon!” >

🤣 >

China said that even after this failure, they'll resume the search for intelligent life. >

Let’s see what happens if we return the favor.. >

Cough… Winnie the Pooh. Cough.. >

Imagine they had another virus inside that balloon and we blew it up. >

And we would do that, that SOB wouldn’t even make it to land fall, so ping Lee can shut his mouth >

The air in the ballon has the next covid infection and we just released the spores >

China: Condemns US ‘attack’ on surveillance balloon as ‘overreaction
US: I can live with that >

Oh, bother. >

We shoot our own kids with impunity here and this guy thought we were gonna be nice to a balloon? See also: that hitchhiking robot. >

This was us being restrained. >

why are you bragging about using a $220,000,000 jet firing a $400,000 missile to destroy a weather balloon 💀  
do you even make $400,000 a year? how many years income is that for you? if you spent multiple years of your income to pop a balloon would you really call it “restrained”? >

And China starting a war with the US is going to make my life better how?
Why are you defending China? >

Well China has to endure the knowledge that US military bases are established in Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Guam, Philippines, and more, with troops and nukes at the ready basically at all times for military action, as well as constant belligerent posturing and threats. Imagine if the situation was reversed. 
Now shooting down a balloon that transmits data in real time (like all modern weather balloons) this late is already meaningless, especially if you believed it to be a spy balloon. Acting under the assumption that it is a spy balloon, shooting it down when it's already floated out of your airspace is even more of an unnecessary act; you can talk about "crash safety" all you like, but would it have really landed on anyone if it was monitored and shot down over the Great Plains? >

Shooting it down to examine the debris, if nothing else. And what do you mean it left US territory when it was shot down? What are you talking about? It's not like it had reached international waters, people on the ground filmed it happening. Of course it should be shot down. >

What are you going to do about it China? Nuke Texas? Nuke Florida?  Oh no don't even think about doing that. We would be so so ? >

You have some strange imagination, not in a good way. >

IDK guys.
Sending a $200 million F-22 to fire a $380,000 sidewinder missile to down a balloon is a bit stupid.
I'm pretty sure there are a number of much cheaper and quieter ways it could have been done, but the US government wanted to make a show of it, so they waited for the balloon to drift over the states to start a panic over it. >

Whose panicked?  The top brass didn't seem too concerned.  The only reason, and it is justified, is to actually find out what the electronics package was capable of. >

It's just stoking nationalist sentiment.
Espionage is very common, but this balloon is such a non-story elevated by the pentagon through the mainstream media.
Look at all of the commenters clutching their pearls about how this was such a brazen invasion of our borders for spying... when they have tiktok installed on their phones.
Yes, China conducts spy campaigns in the US... but so does Saudi Arabia, Russia, and who knows how many other countries. 
And we have the CIA, the heavily funded government spy... I mean "counterintelligence" agency. We invested literally billions of dollars in to developing spy drones. We have the NSA, an agency our government created to spy on us.
I find the idea of a "Chinese spy balloon" kind of hilarious >

"Over reaction" says the dude that ballistic rockets over Japan. >

North Korea and China are different places >

I'm well aware...
Japan lodged complaints about Chinese ballistic missiles landing in their waters back in August. >

Falling into the EEZ of Japanese waters =/= as firing them over japan >

Pedantic much? >

Words have meaning. >

You're a poet. >

Competent at English, yes. >

Well you forgot your full-stop earlier.
It appears punctuation isn't your strong point. >

Did somebody unironically call it "surveillance" balloon? >

Yes? >

But it was fun >

Pooh, please. >

Shocking thought they'd be happy >

Did they actually confirm it was a Chinese spy balloon? I’ve only heard it called that, but never heard it confirmed. >

Overreaction? We call in “target practice.” >

China is preparing for war in 2 years, checking where our nuclear weapons are >

He knows that 30% of Americans will agree with him because it lets them hate on Biden. >

They should make an even bigger balloon, and get over it!! >

Send a balloon back that looks like a bat!!! >

The response should simply be “Don’t fly stupid shit into US airspace”. >

Direct quote from Xi Jinping: "oh, bother" >

Fuck around and find out. >

Imagine if you found a camera on your property pointing in your window with a cord leading to your neighbor's house, and they said it must have gotten blown over into your yard during a storm, so you took it down, and then they called the cops on you for touching their property >

I wonder what they would have done in the same situation. >

China is acting like that little shit sibling that wants to spy on you when your with your friends.
So you kick the little shit out and then it whines and cries to mommy. >

Send them the cleaning bill as well. >

China is so fucking bold...it's disgusting. They're not even trying to be covert. >

The spy balloon could have been Canadian and shooting it down would still be appropriate.  Even an unauthorized American citizen getting too close to a nuclear missile facility would get shot dead. >

Oh no!
Anyway... >

Time to send "weather ballons over CCP territory and watch the hypocrisy! >

Lol >

That’s like when some kid in school hits you so you hit him back and he threatens to tell the teacher. >

poo poo poo poo, Mr. Pooh bear. Look up the word "airspace". >

Yeah, right. How would they have reacted if the USA had a surveillance balloon all up in their sovereign airspace? Bitch, PLEASE!! >

Did it hurt the feelings of the Chinese People? >

oh bother >

That balloon was my daughter. Why did they kill it? :( >

As a serious person let me say that China invented the Gulf Stream in order to spy on Montana with a balloon, because we would expect them to use their satellites. >

The shit they pull over the South China Sea. Yeah, they got room to flex their moral outrage - LUL >

Oh boy, they are playing the banana republic like a fiddle. >


US condemns China 'overreaction' over downing of 'weather balloon' as 'nonsensical posturing'

If it's an actual weather balloon and not for espionage, why do they give a shit? >

I’m gonna laugh if it actually was just a school’s weather balloon like the Chinese claim. >

Non oniony garbage >

Sucks to be you Pooh >

It was just a prank bro! >

Call the cops about it, and stop throwing your damn balls into my yard. >

I guess we’re at war now >

I’d say media stunt but whatever. >

The Government of the People's Republic of China: 
"It was just a prank, bro." >

Well, I condemn their condemnation as an over reaction. It was just a weather balloon right? Want the money for it? >

Xinny the Pooh doesn't know what to do,
Got a honey jar stuck on his nose >

AITA for shooting down a "weather balloon" that entered my airspace? >

Lmao, US waited for it to be done with its surveillance, then sent a jet to shoot it down really does sound like an overreaction. If it was before the balloon did its job, maybe it would be different. >

I ordered a link, but I got a every fucking website ad ever. 1 star >

Hey Winnie the Pooh, shut up. I would love to see what Winnie would do if we flew a “weather balloon “ over China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. I bet Winnie would get his honey pot and throw it at the weather balloon. >

China got the better end of the deal tbh 
- we traded a $400k missile for a probably $500 weather balloon 
- we're about to throw some more billions at the military budget instead of investing in infrastructure/social support programs >

Is this onion-y? >

Since we would anticipate them to utilize their satellites, let me claim as a serious person that China developed the Gulf Stream in order to spy on Montana with a balloon. >

If our weather balloon sudden "found itself" flying over China AND THEY DIDN'T SHOOT IT DOWN, I would have to think that they are fools. >

overreaction would be nuking the balloon launch site. >

"just chillax bro" the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday morning, per the South China Morning Post. >

Testing >

This is why the civilian population should have been the one to shoot down the balloon.
Why waste expensive jet fuel and ammunition on taking it down when little suicide drones could have done the same thing for much cheaper? >

Show us one little consumer drone that can reach 60k ft in altitude. >

It was mentioned that most war planes and helicopters can't even reach that altitude.  The air is too thin.
When Red Bull sponsored that world's highest skydive 10 years ago, it was someone in a pressurized suit jumping from a weather balloon at 128k feet. >

It should be possible to vote on forcibly removing regimes like the CCP. I would be happy to pay more taxes if it meant the likes of CCP was wiped off the face of the earth >

How exactly would that work? >

who cares as long as it's possible and it works! i don't think you understand the concept of imagination. you don't have to work out all the details first >

Just because it's possible it doesn't mean it should be done. Some of the easily foreseeable consequences would include:
-Creating a massive power vacuum which results in full scale civil war in China
-Global manufacturing prices shoot through the roof as a result.
-US companies with operations or even sales in China will lose hardcore.
-international fallout from destabilizing another large government would give the rest of the world a big hate boner for the US and a good amount of reasonable distrust.
These are just obvious consequences that I can think of off the top of my head as a layman. There are probably way more externalities that I hadn't even thought of that could blow up in our face were we to "Forcibly remove the CCP", the government leading arguably the largest economy in the world. Good luck with that. >

naa. i think it should be done >

Ahh. Understandable carry on. >

brrrr, my opinion is superior, brrrr >

We want retaliation as soon as possible 😏 >

It’s almost as if someone wanted to overshadow the incredibly strong economic achievements of the Biden administration. Haven’t heard a thing about it since… >

Yeah, the skies over Taiwan are not PRC airspace. >

Fair point. Have a good day! >

So..... Then a u2 overflight shouldn't be out of the question then? >

You want to send a rock band on a flight over China? >

If its U2, sure >

If you can't force U2 into their people's iphones, why not settle for their airspace? >

Can’t wait for Trump to spin this into an attack on Biden >

If having one of their surveillance balloons shot down by the US while it was spying on US soil is the worst that could have happened to the country who so generously gave the world Covid-19, then I’d say that’s not a bad deal. >

Maybe we should send a super sophisticated "weather" balloon over China and see what they do with it. >

Make it shaped like Winnie the Pooh >

I support this idea with my tax dollars. >

The 9.2 trillion dollar balloon was inflated by Raytheon. >

I wonder how they'd feel about America letting one of those ballons float over to China? Probably not too thrilled. >

Are satellites not a thing anymore?  What are we all excited about? >

In one of the many posts about this someone was commenting that because of the lower altitude they would be able to “scan” deeper into the crust. The theory makes sense but idk if it checks out. >

I’m confident enough in our military (the seeming one competent government institution) that if there was any real additional risk allowing it to continue as opposed to taking the balloon our days ago, then they would have taken it out days ago.
Really not sure where this story arc is going though tbh. Recent news they may have sent three during the last administration?  Maybe they allowed it to go just to see how China would react? There was some rationale to not taking it out before, curious as to what that is >

If they just took it out right away, the Chinese would get to see our standard response time, tactics, and monitor our comms while we do it. By delaying we got to feed them false information, observe their technological capabilities, potentially identify who they were communicating with, and more. 
Even as it was, the Chinese no doubt got some info on the F22 and the sidewinder. >

Also if the US shot it down immediately, it would be a side story that lasts a day tops. The US can milk this story internationally for days and make it the headline for other countries to be aware of the antics that China pulls. US let it traverse and linger over military sites as a way of further evidence that this was no ordinary balloon. >

Except it probably really was just a weather balloon 🙄 gotta spew the pro-war propaganda
Haha everyone downvoted me because they want to see war. How sad >

And what does China propose as an appropriate reaction beyond letting it linger for a week and shooting it down over the water as it is apparently out of control? >

If it was over the water, then that means it has completely drifted over the states, right?
Any information it could have theoretically collected if it was a spy balloon is complete. We could have just let it keep drifting since the United States apparently failed miserably to stop a balloon that can be seen with the naked eye on the ground. >

What are you arguing here? That the most advanced and well funded military on the planet was unable to deal with a balloon?
Please take your tinfoil hat off for a moment and consider that perhaps the US military took steps that we civilians couldn't see, and that they waited til it was over the water so it didn't cause any damage or kill someone by landing on them. >

Not to mention it's probably be easier to recover and study the wreckage when you don't have to comb through miles of grassland for it >

You think it's easier to recover electronic equipment from the bottom of the ocean than from a dry grassy plain? >

It landed in 47 feet of water, and a lot of those parts wouldn't likely sink immediately. >

Nuts here! Dry roasted nuts here! What's that thing in the sky, it looks like a long, hard... >

No dumbass, declaring war for invading our airspace would be an overreaction. >

Aw we hurt Pooh's feelings he can't see our honey stockpiles anymore >

Oh the theater of it all >

The balloon had a device though! And we didn't know what it was. 
WW3 started over top secret China spy balloon. 
WW4 started over an 8-track tape. >


A-Track tape

dont you mean an 8-track tape? >

WW5- Revenge of the laserdisc >

WW6 - Return of the Bluray >

Maybe the US should return the favour and lets see how China responds? >

The thing is China already thinks the US has returned the favor tenfold with American military presence all around China. The panic this caused some people in the US is the same panic some in people in China have felt for decades... Putin is another person who likely feels the same way and even claims it's a reason why he invaded Ukraine. >

We aren't actually in or over China though. Just nearby. It's like if we freaked out because China had dealings with the Bahamas or Costa Rica >

It's hard to sympathize with China, considering how politically aggressive they've been in the past decade >

I hope it doesn't seem like I'm sympathizing. I'm mainly pointing out that people's reaction of political aggression towards the balloon is analogous to China's own political aggression which you're right has been ongoing for the past decade plus >

Weren’t we doing them a favor, by stopping their “out of control weather balloon”? >

What worries me the most about this whole story is, why would China ever admit the balloon was theirs? They could just stay silent and deny, and people would start blaming Russia eventually >

They know we know, they just want to use it as propaganda to rile their people up for war. Our intelligence already publicly told us to expect one by 2025. >

Source? >

That prediction is widely considered to be sensationalism. As an outsider there's no better way to drum up support than with a good old fear mongering campaign.
There is no upshot to a war between super powers. Could it happen? Sure, but there's no actual evidence, and doing it would be stupid. Like, world endingly stupid. >

And it is important to note that a war between China and the U.S. would be devastating to both economies and the world economy. Which I believe creates a strong deference. >

They clearly didn’t like it, y’all must have done the right thing >

China can go fuck itself. The US government allowed that balloon to travel across the entire country, in US airspace, until it got far enough into the Atlantic to intercept, lessening the chance of anyone getting hurt or killed. >

It was probably trailed or circled by E-3s or something to black out its transmission capability. I bet china got nothing after it entered our airspace.  Even a picture of Winnie the Pooh. >

Bet. They're probably upset that it was jammed the whole way over then downed before the big upload after they left the mainland >

Suck our dongs CCP >

China got outplayed politically here as the U.S. let the balloon fly over the whole country before it was shot down over water in U.S. airspace. Any condemnation of U.S. action sounds laughable at this point.
Their own propaganda machine had to flip the script on "look how aggressive the U.S. is" to "look at the weak U.S. who can't even shoot down this balloon for days" when we didn't shoot it down in Alaska like they thought we would. >

Upon learning of the ballon's destruction, he was quoted as saying "oh bother...." >

“Hey general Piglet (Kim Jong Un), get me some more honey will ya? And don’t eat it, I know you like to eat” >

Yes, reaction to something that was over the United States. >

Everyones an expert except the experts. 🙄 >

Nice alliteration >

Cool he won't mind then if we send some of our own. >

The word “attack” seems rich. Why wouldn’t countries feel threatened by this? Suddenly balloons are spotted in the western hemisphere, found to have some measure of maneuverability, and everyone’s supposed to be cool with that? China being butt hurt when a country moves to protect itself is laughable. They overstep their bounds constantly just to be abrasive and see what they can get away with because of their leadership’s overblown ego. Drives me nuts that the world’s population constantly has to be subjected to horrible egomaniacal leaders. >

Like they'd have taken as long to do the same thing, they can shut the right the hell up. >

Well, we do like our target practice. Thanks for the target? >

Not sure what they’re upset about, after all we shot it down after it flew over the country, so they got all their data anyway >

Should have been popped as soon as it entered U.S. airspace. >

That's a great tactic to start a war - send a spy plane/drone into your enemy's airspace, wait for them to shoot it down and then cry about how wrong it is. It's just like Russia - invade another country and then call the rest of the world Nazis because they're supplying weapons to the victims of the invasion. >

Possibly the reason for the delay. If we didn't shoot it down upon immediate entry into our airspace but instead on the way out, it's harder to construe as an aggressive action. >

You’re just sorry because you got caught >

So that’s where Russia learned that. >

China Cries & Whines when the U. S. dares to sail outside their coastal exclusion zone, yet feels it's perfectly OK to violate our air space? Double Standard Much! >

A condemnation by a psychotic genocidal totalitarian government is basically a compliment, so.. thanks? >

We should send them the bill… >

China can bite my fucking ass >

They were testing what our response would be. >

Yeah so now they know that if they send a nuclear warhead by missile, we’ll shoot it down, but if they send it by balloon, we’ll let it float to wherever they want to drop it. >

"Lets drop just 1 nuke on the US to piss them off"
-No one ever
If a super power nukes a super power they're sending hundreds, and neither country will exist afterwards. >

“Let’s take this Reddit comment about a balloon nuke as a serious strategic suggestion” - no one ever (except you) >

If it was just a weather balloon or something then I'd guess they wouldn't care.
If they have to "condemn" it as an attack they were clearly up to some dodgy shit >

They didn't "condemn" the attack. They asked for a non-aggressive resolution to this.
We launched a $400,000 missile at it to blow it up and Xi basically said, "Well that was excessive." >

Might as well have some target practice. >

I know, right? Hitting it with the JDAM would have been cooler AND wouldn't have spread debris in an 11 mile radius.
Probably would have preserved the "spy" device better too. >

I mean, technically invading our airspace is an act of war so I'd say they underreacted. >

Republicans have already invited the Chinese spy balloon to CPAC and announced its run for Speaker of the House. >

Shit when did the balloon switch parties? >

Fuck this Winnie the Pooh looking guy >

Did I already say, fuck the CCP?
If not, then let me say, fuck the CCP. >

Grass mud horse covering the middle. >

Are you from Kentucky or can you translate to English?
Edit:  Or both? >

It's from an art piece by AI Weiwei, a Chinese dissident, and the name is a pun where if you change the tones in Chinese the meaning is "fuck your mother, CCP central committee" >

PBUY >

So the US can send a balloon too and you wont mind? >

China always tries to play the victim in these sorts of things, honestly it is just simple shortsighted statecraft. No one believes what China is saying is genuine, they are just mad that they got caught and their shiny toys got ruined. Honestly they are like the kid that will constantly poke at someone and play the victim when that someone does something about it. >

I wonder how difficult a basic weather balloon is to make (just the balloon part, not the actual data collection stuff) assuming the fabric and construction is pretty straightforward and easy to obtain. I wonder if it would be possible to make one using a scaled up pattern for a stuffed Winnie the Pooh bear.
Also where would it have to be released in the US to make it to China? >

Whatsa matter, we burst your bubble-I mean, balloon??  WHAAAAA!!!!!!!!!! >

Eat our whole ass, Pooh. >


China condemns US ‘attack’ on surveillance balloon as ‘overreaction’

It took the decision long enough, so I guess the Chinese got more surveillance than they originally thought. >

If it was just a weather balloon why not just go ahead and give it the vent command. The way it was steered was by either gaining or losing altitude to use the winds. If it can do that it can also land >

Shouldn't be flying there shit over our country! >

It should have never happened, borders open and now air space?! Wtf is going on here >

Lol >

'The last guy let us get away with it!' - The Chinese, probably... >

Shouldn’t be over U.S.A. land, we had the right to shoot it down >

To be fair, using a $400k missile to pop a balloon is a bit overkill. >

How can you call it an 'overreaction'... have you met America? You always knew we were gonna shoot it. We were never not gonna shoot it. Don't take it personally, China, it's not you, it's us, and we shoot stuff. >

After Trump let 3 of them fly over America and hit it, and did nothing about them i guess they thought Biden would do the same. >

I never heard about that?! >

Am I missing something, nothing in the article about prior balloons during the Trump tenure in that link >

"The official said Chinese balloons briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration."
I guess this is the quote they're referencing. >

Ah ok thanks >

That’s some serious small dick energy out of the Chinese government. Don’t know if they realize that >

It's normal dick energy to them.... >

Dear CCP,
Get fucked. 
V/R, America. 
P.S. Get Fucked >

How dare they stop us from spying on them?! >

Stop sending us your trash Pooh bear! >

The only bad thing about this is that we waited until it had crossed THE ENTIRE COUNTRY before shooting it down. If it was a spy satellite, it was already done with it's job. >

😂😂. How would china have reacted?  Hippocrates. >

Hypocrites, lol. >

Winnie the Pooh condemns saying goodnight, permanently, to his Chinese Spy Balloon. >

What I do not understand is that China could use satellites, spyware, or actual spies to spy on USA - why the heck would they use a damn weather balloon that everyone can see?! 
Shit is so rudimentary and obvious >

we dont know for sure that is was indeed a spy balloon yet though. they could be conducting a multiyear, or decades long test on weather patterns or something. ad even though they stole most of our tech, we still are not the only sophisticated country on this planet.
but i do not like how they invade our airspace without saying or asking etc. to me, they should have known it was going to get shot down. to me, its all theatere tbfh >

Man if only the US had scientists that studied the weather that they could coordinate their research with. >

Welp, time to bring the SR-71 out of retirement and back to Kadena. >

And if we sent a ‘weather balloon’ over China what would their reaction be ?
They’re protesting waaaaay too much about it, they’re overly angry about a “weather balloon” that entered US airspace. >

China would just shoot it down and put it in one of their military museums for public display. Which they did along with all the other US equipment they shot down over the years, and you can still visit it today. Not the first rodeo for everyone >

Shut up Winnie. We'll decide that once we check out what equipment was onboard. >

Now imagine Winnie Xi Poo's reaction if it were reversed.... >

Fuck communism >

It ain't. >

Fuck this, man! China ever play a Sid Meier Civ game? They were all over our honeycombs >

What do they care? It was just an errant civilian weather balloon, right? RIGHT?? >

Shooting it with a Rocket is an overreaction. A toothpick dart would have done it. >

Wait, so they’re admitting to having spy balloons over the US now? >

Well they’ve admitted to the balloon I. question yes, but are claiming it was for “meteorological” purposes. sure. >

And if we send a thing into your airspace without clearing it with you, you'd be cool with that. Right? >

I can’t help but wonder why they waited so long to shoot it down. >

Bahahahahah get bent >

Wake me up when China isn't condemning something. >

You know what we should do
We should send tens of thousands of mylar balloons into their airspace just to fuck with their air traffic control and ground flights and stuff. For "meteorological research". 
That would be hilarious. Imagine their "overreaction" >

Ecological warfare. Feels like a war crime. How many endangered animals did you want to drive extinct for nationalistic pride and geopolitical Brinkmanship?
The US is the big kid on the block with big dick energy. WTF should we care when little dick energy Xi throws a paper airplane? >

I'm no expert on war crimes but I think the reason for that is cos releasing a bunch of helium in your own country and which only negatively affects yourself due to poor planning is very difficult to be considered an act of war >

Let's just send the B21 to fly over Beijing. >

Methinks you’re overreacting Winnie … >

He can suck it. >

Uncle Xi say, “Oh my god, waaaaaa is da beeg probrem? it’s just a Ritter barrrooon!” >

🤣 >

China said that even after this failure, they'll resume the search for intelligent life. >

Let’s see what happens if we return the favor.. >

Cough… Winnie the Pooh. Cough.. >

Imagine they had another virus inside that balloon and we blew it up. >

And we would do that, that SOB wouldn’t even make it to land fall, so ping Lee can shut his mouth >

The air in the ballon has the next covid infection and we just released the spores >

China: Condemns US ‘attack’ on surveillance balloon as ‘overreaction
US: I can live with that >

Oh, bother. >

We shoot our own kids with impunity here and this guy thought we were gonna be nice to a balloon? See also: that hitchhiking robot. >

This was us being restrained. >

why are you bragging about using a $220,000,000 jet firing a $400,000 missile to destroy a weather balloon 💀  
do you even make $400,000 a year? how many years income is that for you? if you spent multiple years of your income to pop a balloon would you really call it “restrained”? >

And China starting a war with the US is going to make my life better how?
Why are you defending China? >

Well China has to endure the knowledge that US military bases are established in Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Guam, Philippines, and more, with troops and nukes at the ready basically at all times for military action, as well as constant belligerent posturing and threats. Imagine if the situation was reversed. 
Now shooting down a balloon that transmits data in real time (like all modern weather balloons) this late is already meaningless, especially if you believed it to be a spy balloon. Acting under the assumption that it is a spy balloon, shooting it down when it's already floated out of your airspace is even more of an unnecessary act; you can talk about "crash safety" all you like, but would it have really landed on anyone if it was monitored and shot down over the Great Plains? >

Shooting it down to examine the debris, if nothing else. And what do you mean it left US territory when it was shot down? What are you talking about? It's not like it had reached international waters, people on the ground filmed it happening. Of course it should be shot down. >

What are you going to do about it China? Nuke Texas? Nuke Florida?  Oh no don't even think about doing that. We would be so so ? >

You have some strange imagination, not in a good way. >

IDK guys.
Sending a $200 million F-22 to fire a $380,000 sidewinder missile to down a balloon is a bit stupid.
I'm pretty sure there are a number of much cheaper and quieter ways it could have been done, but the US government wanted to make a show of it, so they waited for the balloon to drift over the states to start a panic over it. >

Whose panicked?  The top brass didn't seem too concerned.  The only reason, and it is justified, is to actually find out what the electronics package was capable of. >

It's just stoking nationalist sentiment.
Espionage is very common, but this balloon is such a non-story elevated by the pentagon through the mainstream media.
Look at all of the commenters clutching their pearls about how this was such a brazen invasion of our borders for spying... when they have tiktok installed on their phones.
Yes, China conducts spy campaigns in the US... but so does Saudi Arabia, Russia, and who knows how many other countries. 
And we have the CIA, the heavily funded government spy... I mean "counterintelligence" agency. We invested literally billions of dollars in to developing spy drones. We have the NSA, an agency our government created to spy on us.
I find the idea of a "Chinese spy balloon" kind of hilarious >

"Over reaction" says the dude that ballistic rockets over Japan. >

North Korea and China are different places >

I'm well aware...
Japan lodged complaints about Chinese ballistic missiles landing in their waters back in August. >

Falling into the EEZ of Japanese waters =/= as firing them over japan >

Pedantic much? >

Words have meaning. >

You're a poet. >

Competent at English, yes. >

Well you forgot your full-stop earlier.
It appears punctuation isn't your strong point. >

Did somebody unironically call it "surveillance" balloon? >

Yes? >

But it was fun >

Pooh, please. >

Shocking thought they'd be happy >

Did they actually confirm it was a Chinese spy balloon? I’ve only heard it called that, but never heard it confirmed. >

Overreaction? We call in “target practice.” >

China is preparing for war in 2 years, checking where our nuclear weapons are >

He knows that 30% of Americans will agree with him because it lets them hate on Biden. >

They should make an even bigger balloon, and get over it!! >

Send a balloon back that looks like a bat!!! >

The response should simply be “Don’t fly stupid shit into US airspace”. >

Direct quote from Xi Jinping: "oh, bother" >

Fuck around and find out. >

Imagine if you found a camera on your property pointing in your window with a cord leading to your neighbor's house, and they said it must have gotten blown over into your yard during a storm, so you took it down, and then they called the cops on you for touching their property >

I wonder what they would have done in the same situation. >

China is acting like that little shit sibling that wants to spy on you when your with your friends.
So you kick the little shit out and then it whines and cries to mommy. >

Send them the cleaning bill as well. >

China is so fucking bold...it's disgusting. They're not even trying to be covert. >

The spy balloon could have been Canadian and shooting it down would still be appropriate.  Even an unauthorized American citizen getting too close to a nuclear missile facility would get shot dead. >

Oh no!
Anyway... >

Time to send "weather ballons over CCP territory and watch the hypocrisy! >

Lol >

That’s like when some kid in school hits you so you hit him back and he threatens to tell the teacher. >

poo poo poo poo, Mr. Pooh bear. Look up the word "airspace". >

Yeah, right. How would they have reacted if the USA had a surveillance balloon all up in their sovereign airspace? Bitch, PLEASE!! >

Did it hurt the feelings of the Chinese People? >

oh bother >

That balloon was my daughter. Why did they kill it? :( >

As a serious person let me say that China invented the Gulf Stream in order to spy on Montana with a balloon, because we would expect them to use their satellites. >

The shit they pull over the South China Sea. Yeah, they got room to flex their moral outrage - LUL >

Oh boy, they are playing the banana republic like a fiddle. >


US condemns China 'overreaction' over downing of 'weather balloon' as 'nonsensical posturing'

If it's an actual weather balloon and not for espionage, why do they give a shit? >

I’m gonna laugh if it actually was just a school’s weather balloon like the Chinese claim. >

Non oniony garbage >

Sucks to be you Pooh >

It was just a prank bro! >

Call the cops about it, and stop throwing your damn balls into my yard. >

I guess we’re at war now >

I’d say media stunt but whatever. >

The Government of the People's Republic of China: 
"It was just a prank, bro." >

Well, I condemn their condemnation as an over reaction. It was just a weather balloon right? Want the money for it? >

Xinny the Pooh doesn't know what to do,
Got a honey jar stuck on his nose >

AITA for shooting down a "weather balloon" that entered my airspace? >

Lmao, US waited for it to be done with its surveillance, then sent a jet to shoot it down really does sound like an overreaction. If it was before the balloon did its job, maybe it would be different. >

I ordered a link, but I got a every fucking website ad ever. 1 star >

Hey Winnie the Pooh, shut up. I would love to see what Winnie would do if we flew a “weather balloon “ over China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. I bet Winnie would get his honey pot and throw it at the weather balloon. >

China got the better end of the deal tbh 
- we traded a $400k missile for a probably $500 weather balloon 
- we're about to throw some more billions at the military budget instead of investing in infrastructure/social support programs >

Is this onion-y? >

Since we would anticipate them to utilize their satellites, let me claim as a serious person that China developed the Gulf Stream in order to spy on Montana with a balloon. >

If our weather balloon sudden "found itself" flying over China AND THEY DIDN'T SHOOT IT DOWN, I would have to think that they are fools. >

overreaction would be nuking the balloon launch site. >

"just chillax bro" the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday morning, per the South China Morning Post. >

Testing >

This is why the civilian population should have been the one to shoot down the balloon.
Why waste expensive jet fuel and ammunition on taking it down when little suicide drones could have done the same thing for much cheaper? >

Show us one little consumer drone that can reach 60k ft in altitude. >

It was mentioned that most war planes and helicopters can't even reach that altitude.  The air is too thin.
When Red Bull sponsored that world's highest skydive 10 years ago, it was someone in a pressurized suit jumping from a weather balloon at 128k feet. >

It should be possible to vote on forcibly removing regimes like the CCP. I would be happy to pay more taxes if it meant the likes of CCP was wiped off the face of the earth >

How exactly would that work? >

who cares as long as it's possible and it works! i don't think you understand the concept of imagination. you don't have to work out all the details first >

Just because it's possible it doesn't mean it should be done. Some of the easily foreseeable consequences would include:
-Creating a massive power vacuum which results in full scale civil war in China
-Global manufacturing prices shoot through the roof as a result.
-US companies with operations or even sales in China will lose hardcore.
-international fallout from destabilizing another large government would give the rest of the world a big hate boner for the US and a good amount of reasonable distrust.
These are just obvious consequences that I can think of off the top of my head as a layman. There are probably way more externalities that I hadn't even thought of that could blow up in our face were we to "Forcibly remove the CCP", the government leading arguably the largest economy in the world. Good luck with that. >

naa. i think it should be done >

Ahh. Understandable carry on. >

brrrr, my opinion is superior, brrrr >

We want retaliation as soon as possible 😏