comment: >
  
  There is some serious face saving in progress...
context: Reminds me of the time China's Spy vessel was caught collecting data in Australian waters on US-AU AIR and Naval bases that they denied was collecting sensitive data, until Australian surveillance craft released a map of it deliberately B -lining for military bases and collecting sensitive information. >
  
  Beeline >
  
  Buzz buzz >
  
  Bees!? >
  
  Not the bees >
  
  Knew it was wicker man, and I still clicked because I love this scene. Thank u for the reminder >
  
  As much as I love that scene the bear punch still wins for me! >
  
  What was china’s goal here? Did they think the us wouldn’t notice this balloon? Or was this is genuine error on their part >
  
  My take: it was just random aggression. >
  
  Yeah, it's a very visible way to say that we can f*** with you, and the give a weakest plausible explanation they know won't fly. >
  
  This is a big deal for Boeing who was hoping to get China to approve the 737 max certification during this meeting.
  Ironic a balloon might capsize an airliner. >
  
  I am not gonna defend China but the 737max should never have been certified.
  The sheer corruption Boeing did to get it out of the door and how the US is pressuring other countries to recertify it disgusts me. They should have been punished by the market for the scandal, but instead they largely got away with it. >
  
  They didn't want to upgrade the fusilage to accommodate the bigger engines.
  They moved the engines up in the wing in order to give them adequate clearance.
  This destabilised the plane, which they fixed with a software patch.
  Fuck Boeing, fuck the men who directed the decision, and fuck the engineers who complied. >
  
  They got caught and no one believes their two made up reasons >
  
  Well China admitted that they messed up, which they never do, so we know they're lying. >
  
  Agree with the logic but What’re you implying? >
  
  U.S. We're cancelling our diplomatic visit to China because of the giant spy blimp flying over our country.
  China Whoaaa there pal, I don't know where you get off accusing us of blimp spying but I think we deserve an apology for such a heinous accusation!  Btw the giant spy blimp IS ours but still... >
  
  We're in civ 7 simulation >
  
  When is the UN resolution to ban crabs? >
  
  Sorry Xi, it’s not us, it’s you >
  
  It is actually a little funny though to think that some Chinese diplomat would actually be disappointed at not having to sit at a conference table with Anthony Blinken trading diplo-speak through interpreters. They’re like thank Mao I can just go golfing instead and then hit the club later. >
  
  It is said that he was to meet with Xi directly, which was a sharp deviation from normal protocol. This was due to Xi trying to put on a charm offensive to reset relations. The spy balloon debacle is yet another embarrassment for Xi because the timing of this public spectacle thoroughly discredits his attempt >
  
  Highly embarrassing for Xi and he’ll find it hard to save face. >
  
  Conspiracy theory: China is going to increasingly do these "not quite so bold to warrant a response but still an affront to US security" in the coming months to:
  1) Provide argumentative ammo to the right-wing that arming Ukraine is a fool's errand when China is humiliating us and violating our airspace (Their words, not mine. And they're wrong)
  2) Make Biden look weak by doing things that shock the public and anger half the county but (any rational person can understand) do not merit an aggressive response. 
  Just my thoughts. >
  
  People from all over the world walk across our border everyday undocumented so why would Biden worry about a balloon. Just my thoughts. >
  
  Im all for keeping our borders open just to spite dipshit room  temperature IQ morons like you >
  
  Literally I now hope more of them pour over >
  
  Billions and billions of immigrants brown mostly will be your neighbors very simple and it'll be amazing >
  
  Every time China gets caught spying on countries that are by some coincidence rival nations to China, it claims those spy balloons or ships were 'civilian survey' apparatus.
  They used the same balloons on India and Japan before too. More so, they also used their spy ships against India. All while claiming that they were 'civilian apparatus'. 
  What a joke. >
  
  Why balloons though. You can achieve just as much if not more with a modern day drone or spy plane can't you?
  You can hijack signals from the comfort of your own chair.
  Is it for reconnaissance, if so why? Google earth had already maped the while damn earth with their own ballon and car and camel.
  Is there something they NEED to see over in Montana that's not already on Google earth? >
  
  Could be used for signals intelligence. You can’t do that as effectively with a satellite due to the distance, space and weight constraints, power constraints, etc.
  Also a spy plane or drone flying over the middle of America would be an undeniably deliberate violation of US territorial sovereignty causing a huge hit to relations. Of course, it would never get there as US fighters would intercept and shoot it down long before that. >
  
  Are they saying the issue is just hot air inflated out of proportion? >
  
  Get out and go straight to jail, that is diabolical >
  
  “Did you say Abe Lincoln?” >
  
  What did they do with our drone in 2016?