Objects being shot down

[Moliphino]

Didn't we learn last night that the balloons were a U2 PR stunt?

 

[Karin1984]

 

[dioxide45]

You could do far more damage to the United States by controlling the media our citizens consume. There doesn't seem to be any restrictions on foreign citizens owning large media companies.

Not really, because unlike other countries, there are multiple sources for media. We don't have a singular state sponsored media like these countries may have. They can't buy them all up nor would they all be for sale. Then you also have independant media in the US. Though there is TikTok. You seem to be easily dismissing the possibility that our enemies want to harm the United States and our fellow citizens in any way possible. Nothing should be off the table.

 

[Colleen27]

You could do far more damage to the United States by controlling the media our citizens consume. There doesn't seem to be any restrictions on foreign citizens owning large media companies.

Or exporting massive amounts of the primary drug fueling our overdose epidemic. Or buying up real estate and farmland in bulk at a time when housing and food are skyrocketing and water is scarce in key agricultural areas.

The whole mindset of direct attack as a means of warfare strikes me as largely outdated. There are so many other ways now to for a country like China to weaken a rival without doing so much damage that they destroy that rival's value as an export market.

 

[_19disnA]

Yea or all of those TikTok videos encouraging us to eat laundry detergent pods. I am sure someone has a conspiracy theory about that one too............LOL.

 

[MillauFr]

Hope you have one of those unlimited popcorn buckets....

 

[Karin1984]

Hope you have one of those unlimited popcorn buckets....

Yup, it's a virtual one and it will literally last till this thread is closed. It's one of my best purchases.

 

[MillauFr]

The whole mindset of direct attack as a means of warfare strikes me as largely outdated. There are so many other ways now to for a country like China to weaken a rival without doing so much damage that they destroy that rival's value as an export market.

Completely agree. The next large scale war the US fights is not likely to be decided using missles, planes, ships, etc....

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Hope you have one of those unlimited popcorn buckets....

 

[TippyThomas]

That reminds me, I need to add tin foil and popcorn to my grocery list.

 

[Imzadi]

Does seem a bit strange that China was so anxious to clain ownership of that first one shot down. They could have said nothing and hope we blamed some other country.

Its kind of hard to feing ignorance when the manufacturer of the payload is stamped all over it.

TMZ just interviewed a leading astrophysicist from Harvard. They joked that it would be so funny if China had put labels on the equipment saying they were made in Poughkeepsie, NY, to try to throw everyone off.

Jokes aside, it does make sense. If one is doing something nefarious, why would one leave markings all over it to show who really made it?

The astrophysicist also mentioned how even IF the balloon comes from aliens, that our government would probably lock down that info and keep it secret instead of sharing the info with the world. That their role is more about protecting our national security than sharing info and evidence for everyone's research as that type of event doesn't just belong to the U.S. Knowledge of aliens/extraterrestrials belongs to the WORLD.

It reminds me of various movies I've seen like E.T. and Starman, starring Jeff Bridges as an alien, and a few others. Our government's first reaction is always to apprehend, control and dissect the alien. Scenes like in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, where scientific research and advancement of world-kind during our first contact with extraterrestrials doesn't happen very often.

 

[DLgal]

Jokes aside, it does make sense. If one is doing something nefarious, why would one leave markings all over it to show who really made it?

Well, China has already both claimed the first balloon was theirs and simultaneously denied it, and is now saying the US is ALSO flying balloons over China (we aren't).

They lie. They lie about everything, to the world, to their own citizens, etc. It's their M.O.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

You know, we complain about Democrats and Republicans, but the fact is, we're blessed with BOTH. You don't miss a true Democracy until it's gone

 

[Imzadi]

Though there is TikTok. You seem to be easily dismissing the possibility that our enemies want to harm the United States and our fellow citizens in any way possible. Nothing should be off the table.

There is a Russian antivirus called Kaspersky that's been available for DECADES and has been very popularly used here in the U.S. and worldwide for years. The first time I heard of it, ages ago, I thought why would I ever use THAT antivirus, in which the Russians could possibly be downloading all my computer's info during their "antivirus" checks? Talk about just giving them the house keys. (I use ones made in the U.S.) It's only been recently that warnings are going out about NOT using Kaspersky.

 

[pigletto]

Or exporting massive amounts of the primary drug fueling our overdose epidemic. Or buying up real estate and farmland in bulk at a time when housing and food are skyrocketing and water is scarce in key agricultural areas.

The whole mindset of direct attack as a means of warfare strikes me as largely outdated. There are so many other ways now to for a country like China to weaken a rival without doing so much damage that they destroy that rival's value as an export market.

Anyone who’s spent any time at all in the comment section on YouTube or Instagram or Twitter will see just how rampant misinformation and divisive propaganda is. It’s brilliant actually because they are just destroying the country from within.

 

[MillauFr]

There is a Russian antivirus called Kaspersky that's been available for DECADES and has been very popularly used here in the U.S. and worldwide for years. The first time I heard of it, ages ago, I thought why would I ever use THAT antivirus, in which the Russians could possibly be downloading all my computer's info during their "antivirus" checks? Talk about just giving them the house keys. (I use ones made in the U.S.) It's only been recently that warnings are going out about NOT using Kaspersky.

Agreed, although with Windows 10 you don't need any of the 3rd party anti-virus programs. Windows Defender is actually decent now days and has come a long way since previous versions when it was junk.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Agreed, although with Windows 10 you don't need any of the 3rd party anti-virus programs. Windows Defender is actually decent now days and has come a long way since previous versions when it was junk.

To be fair, if a Crime Scene Investigator wants to know what's on or has been on your computer, from deleted files to a browsing history, no matter how well hidden, they WILL find it.

Mind you, hardly any people have the tools to do this with.

 

[MillauFr]

You know, we complain about Democrats and Republicans, but the fact is, we're blessed with BOTH. You don't miss a true Democracy until it's gone

Just like Churchill so wisely said..... Democracy is the worst form of government except all of the others that have been tried to date.

 

[MillauFr]

To be fair, if a Crime Scene Investigator wants to know what's on or has been on your computer, from deleted files to a browsing history, no matter how well hidden, they WILL find it.

Mind you, hardly any people have the tools to do this with.

I'll keep that in mind when I'm trying to delete the evidence from all of the felonies I commit.

 

[MillauFr]

Well, China has already both claimed the first balloon was theirs and simultaneously denied it, and is now saying the US is ALSO flying balloons over China (we aren't).

They lie. They lie about everything, to the world, to their own citizens, etc. It's their M.O.

Well to be fair, no one really expects any countries intelligence gathering organizations to be transparent and truthful.