jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

One thing you have to realize about governments and the military: they never tell the whole world everything. They often say one thing and then they say just the opposite. This is a time-proven technique for keeping our "enemies" off balance. It's the same with this balloon. Since they haven't shot it down, they must have a good reason, but they don't want to announce that reason to the whole world. I figure we know about 2% of what's really going on in the world, and that's fine with me. The government keeps secrets for good reasons, and revealing them has done more harm than good. Two incidents come to mind.

The government was building a huge underground facility for a post-nuclear government at a golf club in VA. They spent a fortune on it. Then a reporter found out about it and published the story. That put an end to the project.

The government made a secret deal with Howard Hughes to recover a sunken Soviet sub. He outfitted a "research ship, the Glomar Explorer. The ship stationed itself over the sub and began lifting it. It broke in two, and half fell to the bottom. Although they had planned to go back the following year to recover the other half, a reporter found out and published the story. That was embarrassing for the US, to say the least.

We don't have a right to know everything.

LDB415 Loc: Houston south suburb

I'm surprised a couple of guys with a good airplane and a good rifle haven't taken care of it already.

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

My initial reaction was to want the gov. to shoot the #%% thing down, since the risks of harming people or property were so minimal. It was flying over Montana, for example. But I suppose if it were to cause harm then that would be an out-sized PR problem. Definitely take it down once it goes over the Atlantic.
I don't see what benefit China expects to gain from it.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I thought the "danger of falling debris" was a pretty flimsy excuse. They know where it is, and they know what's under it. There's a lot of empty land out west. Remember the U2 plane that Russia shot down? Same situation here. There's another balloon over Latin America. Maybe we'll get the whole story someday.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

The military assessed several things and our personal biases against China weren’t one of them. The dialogue here is the same kind of knee jerk fantasy thinking that concealed carry advocates use to justify carrying a loaded weapon.

lesdmd Loc: Middleton Wi via N.Y.C. & Cleveland

The public does not need to know everything; but there are far too many cover-ups and classified documents that either the government or “special interests” feel necessary to keep away from the disinfection of exposure.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Last night I watched a video about crime in the Arctic. In one case, a scientist died under mysterious circumstances. Neither the government nor Raytheon would cooperate in the investigation. After years of investigating, there was no conclusion.

tcthome Loc: NJ

And now over Latin America is a second one. If you go with the conspiracy theory thing, a test for chemical warfare & spying at the same time. Why? Let us know to not interfere with their possible invasion of Tiawan. After covid, could it have a virus inside? Could they be letting us know that is how they started covid 19? Could it be a test to see how the people will react? And could this be part of the so-called reset theory? I think China & Russia have something on the Bidin's. Too weak protecting our unsecured air space. Could of been shot down before it released Alaska. US afraid it might contain a virus? Just a theory & this thread should probably be in the Attic section.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I hope not.

lesdmd Loc: Middleton Wi via N.Y.C. & Cleveland

Response to tcthome.
Interesting how you think. There has been plenty of logical and careful analysis of the the balloon. Instead of accepting them, or alternately believing that the public is not being given the whole story, whether because all the facts are not known or are felt to be necessary to be kept secret, you have chosen to introduce unverifiable conspiracy theories.
If this winds up in The Attic, it is because of your posting.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

You're referring to tcthome , right?

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

Balloon spy surveillance dates back to the Civil War and with today's satellites and spy planes, a slow-moving balloon at a visible height is not very stealthy. There's a phrase about using a "trial balloon" in marketing and product development to see how something is received. China may be doing the same thing as a trial to see, "What will America do when we violate their space?" It would have been seen as a deliberate attack on our airspace if it were a plane. "What will America tolerate?", "Can we normalize America seeing our balloons flying over them?", "How much can we poke them before they respond?". What a fantastic way to release biological agents over a nation once they become accustomed to seeing balloons fly over them..!

Bison Bud

I have trouble believing that a balloon is a very viable spy platform when they already have satellites in orbit that can read a newspaper from outer space! I think it was intended to piss us off and it's been pretty effective at that. I heard on network news last night that someone actually believes that they a guiding this thing with satellites and find that a bit far fetched as well. Why not just poke a few holes in it and let it come down slowly? At least then we could get a good look and what technology is actually aboard. I would think this would be far more important than just knocking it out of the sky!

Bigmike1 Loc: I am from Gaffney, S.C. but live in Utah.

I don't think I am even going to comment.

Soul Dr. Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley

From your comments it seems you have a problem with people having the legal ability to carry a concealed firearm?
So I guess in your mind people shouldn't have the means to protect themselves or others.

Will