How did news even come out that this balloon exists? Is this a deliberate distraction to rile up the masses or what's the story there?

It's a big story somehow related to inflation.

Simple answer: EMP: electro-magnetic pulse.

We that's what we would be saying about Trump if he was in office and a Russian balloon was present

Between Tik Tok and Fentanyl China is destroying the USA from afar

Well trump was gladly saying “covid China is destroying the USA from afar ?”

Apparently there's a 2nd balloon over Latin America.

I have the same thoughts. Maybe it's a dick-waving thing, or a test run for a system that could carry a weapon?

There just really is no way for any of us peon civilians to have to astute opinion on what should be done with this balloon. We have zero information on every angle from foreign affairs to safety - but that won't stop everyone from having a strong opinion on how this should be handled.

wasn't there some expose somewhere that said like 50+% of ufo sightings are foreign governments spying on us with drones/flying balloons(apparently)

They should shoot it down, and then claim it collided with one of our meteorological research balloons.

https://twitter.com/theonion/status/1621593706305388546

https://www.theonion.com/nation-surr...oon-1850071409

I'm sure some people would be. That doesn't make your statement any less ridiculous.

And drawing ridiculous conclusions about those who have a different opinion.

I'm guessing the excuses are simply covering for the US not wanting international precedence of shooting such balloons down, or open the neighboring barn-door on shooting down satellites.

As for whether it was sent, who knows. It strikes me as somewhat unlikely given the highly surveilled US airspace over the mainland. In addition when you already have spy satellites here, why send a more invasive device that offers no new capacity? It seems more likely that it was lost.

However, a mistake is probably even worse for the Chinese to admit than intent.

This just speculation of course. Formula72's observation is apt. This is definitely an area where there are very few people privy to the correct information, fewer with detailed information and even fewer with all the information.

Smerconish had a poll today

Is the weather balloon more about national security or national pride ?

I think Americans and CDNs are sick of how China just keeps screwing us and shooting the balloon down would be national pride

Now heck I'm not sure Canada noticed the damn thing alor the capability to shoot it down

Various ideas were considered. They decided to stick a pin in it.

I suspect this kind of spying is usual, and probably something we do also.

It appears the main problem is that this balloon is actually visible to the naked eye and was seen and reported on by local media in Montana, which is forcing our government to address it to the public in a way it clearly had no intention of doing.

So the real question is why did China send a visible spy balloon to fly over the continental US?

Maybe it really was an accident. Perhaps they just wanted to see what the response would be. Maybe they are trying to trigger a response from us that would justify a counter-response from them they wanted to do anyways, but felt they needed justification.

In my opinion:

Any spycraft in our airspace should be shot down immediately.

This shouldn't even be controversial.

In my opinion, to see if the United States Government under Biden cares about national security anymore. They quickly found out that the answer is "No."

R.I.P. U.S.A.

Does this include satellites?

I don't think satellites travel in our airspace. So, satellites are fine.

Does anyone wonder why the Pentagon would decide to volunteer this information to the American public?

I think NORAD had this on their radar the moment it entered American airspace near Alaska.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence that China has lost another balloon over South America

US excuse for not shooting it down the wreckage would stretch over 20 Square miles .
Hmm no expert but would it not just fall from the sky ?

How high does your "air space" limit end?

Could it be a nuke balloon that if we shoot it down would land on us and cause a Nagasaki explosion 1000 times bigger? And we would effectively be nuking ourselves if we shoot it down? And Xi Jinping tells us it is all our fault that we nuked ourselves?