The standard of commentary and analysis in the alternative media is excellent. Imagine if the MSM covered the current topics with the insightfulness of Mark, The Duran, MoA, Scott Ritter, Tom Luongo and countless others. This is what great news coverage looks like.
Did you know that the U.S. intelligence community has a number of balloons flying over the United States at very high altitude — e.g., 90,000 feet? They do. I recommend the following video for your enlightenment. It is by a former U.S. military special operations bubba who knows how to read and decipher air traffic.
[video]
What I tried to convey in my previous article was the lack of international agreement governing overflights of a nation’s territory by balloons, fixed wing and satellites. **There is an international consensus about aircraft that operate in controlled airspace. And countries such as the United States, Russia and China will shoot down a fixed wing intruder.**
I'm confused. All the media are claiming that the balloon is flying at 60,000 feet. The Johnson article is claiming that the balloon is at 55 miles above the earth, which is about 290,000 feet. That's a big difference, the difference between airplanes flying high over our country and satellites orbiting the earth. If it's really at 60,000 feet, the Johnson article is nonsense. From everything I can tell, it's at 60,000 feet. Apparently, it's drifting with the wind. Also, you can photograph it with a camera and long lens, which is consistent with photographing something 12 miles away. If it was at 55 miles it would be in orbit, it wouldn't be drifting over the country, and you couldn't photograph it from the ground.
Thought experiment. Do you think that the (trial) balloon is a message being sent to our Fascist government that they can just as easily obtain our classified information by stealth through upper atmosphere surveillance as opposed to buying it from our political grifters with emerging legal problems like Hunter and Joe Biden? They must be panicking bigly. /sarc.
I have family in the area and quite aware of the controversy with China's attempt to acquire that land. This controversy follows on the heels of another transaction nearby where Bill Gates bought a huge tract of farmland in the same area. Lot's of opposition to that sale as well as many in ND see Bill gates as a predator and fear his plans. Keep in mind this is some of the richest farm land in the USA. The sellers to Gates were given a very significant amount of money (making it easy to say where do I sign?) and of course, as Democrats they saw no issue with selling out.
I was visiting my sister this past Summer and while driving home (I reside in the Twin Cities) I heard a Charlie Kirk program interview Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and while opposed to the China deal he was very favorable to the sale to Gates and then proceeded to express full backing for Ukraine an was pushing the bill in Congress to send more weapons. The political class are truly clueless and self-interested.
I had not heard about the Gates purchase. Thanks for that context. Must be for cricket farms! Sad to watch US farmland getting repurposed. I drive around the county often, really enjoy the great plains.
Even the thought that China and Russia would collude on the balloon flight is chilling. Sure, there is no longer even a shred of pretense these days that those two nations aren't actively engaged in a mutual-support role, but on something THIS potentially kinetic? Wow...can't rule anything out at this point.
On the CANSS point, I used to tease a bunch of lawyers I knew at the FTC's Bureau of Competition and at the Antitrust Division about all the merger mania and wild industry consolidations from, say, 2000 to 2013 with the classic line from Office Space "now, what would you say you DO here?" Back then, I'd chalked it up to feckless government bureaucracy folding to the demands of Wall Street. Little did I know that this same government bureaucracy was in on it all along.
"Even the thought that China and Russia would collude on the balloon flight is chilling". Why so, NFO? We have made it very clear to these two nations that we are out to destroy them. It's only natural that they seek solace in each other's arms against a common aggressor.
Mostly because RU and CN are playing this smart--putting the pieces in place (overtly, in the finance/trade and geopolitics spheres, and, covertly, with some forms of military cooperation) to defend against and ultimately vanquish an aggressor toward both. All they need to do is defend aggressively, as we continue to embarrass and ultimately wear ourselves out like a flailing child throwing a tantrum. The notion that CN would float a balloon over for us to shoot down as a green light for RU to start blowing AWACS out of the sky is chilling in that they’re so sick of our shit that they’re willing to go fully kinetic rather than sit back and watch us destroy ourselves.
Absolutely agree. We've gone apeshit aggressive over in Europe. The Russians and Chinese are usually more measured/calculating, so that's the source of my trepidation.
No doubt the newly constituted Space Force is fully capable of dealing with this new technological invention - the balloon - in a clandestine manner.
But on a serious note, it wasn't too many years ago that Russia and the US had a treaty for overflights called the Open Skies treaty where reconnaissance aircraft were allowed to fly over the others' territory. Of course, advance notice was required of the flights, and I believe flight plans had to be agreed upon. The military would receive message traffic notification of any scheduled overflight. From what I've read, the US withdrew from the treaty a few years ago.
The US (and UK/AUS lapdogs) need to think carefully about what hypersonic missiles can do to aircraft carriers before they ramp up the pressure against the Chinese.
That was then, this is now. Do we really want to get into a shootdown showdown of satellites? Answer: No. Obviously not. The knowledge provided by spy satellites provides security against surprise attacks.
The Chinese spy balloon was NOT at "55 miles" - it was at approx. 60, 000 feet, or less than 12 miles up.
The standard of commentary and analysis in the alternative media is excellent. Imagine if the MSM covered the current topics with the insightfulness of Mark, The Duran, MoA, Scott Ritter, Tom Luongo and countless others. This is what great news coverage looks like.
Forgot Larry Johnson!
In short, the US is furious that another nation dares to do the same thing that it has been doing for years.
For another dimension to the Chinese balloon intrigue!
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=5th+dimension+beautiful+balloon&t=iphone&iax=videos&ia=videos&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DzXFW_oNl_Lo
Johnson has written an update of sorts:
https://sonar21.com/more-on-the-high-flying-balloons/
Did you know that the U.S. intelligence community has a number of balloons flying over the United States at very high altitude — e.g., 90,000 feet? They do. I recommend the following video for your enlightenment. It is by a former U.S. military special operations bubba who knows how to read and decipher air traffic.
[video]
What I tried to convey in my previous article was the lack of international agreement governing overflights of a nation’s territory by balloons, fixed wing and satellites. **There is an international consensus about aircraft that operate in controlled airspace. And countries such as the United States, Russia and China will shoot down a fixed wing intruder.**
We just shot something down.
Mostly peacefully
If Herbert Morrison was still around to report, he would certainly exclaim, OH THE INSANITY! as the CANSS Zeppelin burst into flames.
Balloon could be taken down with a laser. No explosions, no shrapnel. No muss, no fuss.
Chinese premium solar panels (Ughar made) powered by an Intel chip computer with a US made gyroscope. Easy peazy. We should try this.
I'm confused. All the media are claiming that the balloon is flying at 60,000 feet. The Johnson article is claiming that the balloon is at 55 miles above the earth, which is about 290,000 feet. That's a big difference, the difference between airplanes flying high over our country and satellites orbiting the earth. If it's really at 60,000 feet, the Johnson article is nonsense. From everything I can tell, it's at 60,000 feet. Apparently, it's drifting with the wind. Also, you can photograph it with a camera and long lens, which is consistent with photographing something 12 miles away. If it was at 55 miles it would be in orbit, it wouldn't be drifting over the country, and you couldn't photograph it from the ground.
That does sound right.
34 miles (180k feet) is the highest any balloon has EVER gone. There's no way this thing is anywhere near 55 miles up.
Tx
Thought experiment. Do you think that the (trial) balloon is a message being sent to our Fascist government that they can just as easily obtain our classified information by stealth through upper atmosphere surveillance as opposed to buying it from our political grifters with emerging legal problems like Hunter and Joe Biden? They must be panicking bigly. /sarc.
Kat, I had this thought also. Quite a bit of news related to China recently -
-Swalwell booted from Intel committee for connections to Chinese spy
-USAF general's comments are war with China in 2 years. Is this a warning or a plan?
-and the Fufeng story, flying under the radar:
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2023-02-01/air-force-opposes-chinese-corn-north-dakota-9011627.html
I have family in the area and quite aware of the controversy with China's attempt to acquire that land. This controversy follows on the heels of another transaction nearby where Bill Gates bought a huge tract of farmland in the same area. Lot's of opposition to that sale as well as many in ND see Bill gates as a predator and fear his plans. Keep in mind this is some of the richest farm land in the USA. The sellers to Gates were given a very significant amount of money (making it easy to say where do I sign?) and of course, as Democrats they saw no issue with selling out.
I was visiting my sister this past Summer and while driving home (I reside in the Twin Cities) I heard a Charlie Kirk program interview Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and while opposed to the China deal he was very favorable to the sale to Gates and then proceeded to express full backing for Ukraine an was pushing the bill in Congress to send more weapons. The political class are truly clueless and self-interested.
I had not heard about the Gates purchase. Thanks for that context. Must be for cricket farms! Sad to watch US farmland getting repurposed. I drive around the county often, really enjoy the great plains.
Thanks Mark - I had not known the grey zone issue.
Even the thought that China and Russia would collude on the balloon flight is chilling. Sure, there is no longer even a shred of pretense these days that those two nations aren't actively engaged in a mutual-support role, but on something THIS potentially kinetic? Wow...can't rule anything out at this point.
On the CANSS point, I used to tease a bunch of lawyers I knew at the FTC's Bureau of Competition and at the Antitrust Division about all the merger mania and wild industry consolidations from, say, 2000 to 2013 with the classic line from Office Space "now, what would you say you DO here?" Back then, I'd chalked it up to feckless government bureaucracy folding to the demands of Wall Street. Little did I know that this same government bureaucracy was in on it all along.
"Even the thought that China and Russia would collude on the balloon flight is chilling". Why so, NFO? We have made it very clear to these two nations that we are out to destroy them. It's only natural that they seek solace in each other's arms against a common aggressor.
Mostly because RU and CN are playing this smart--putting the pieces in place (overtly, in the finance/trade and geopolitics spheres, and, covertly, with some forms of military cooperation) to defend against and ultimately vanquish an aggressor toward both. All they need to do is defend aggressively, as we continue to embarrass and ultimately wear ourselves out like a flailing child throwing a tantrum. The notion that CN would float a balloon over for us to shoot down as a green light for RU to start blowing AWACS out of the sky is chilling in that they’re so sick of our shit that they’re willing to go fully kinetic rather than sit back and watch us destroy ourselves.
It seems like a mild, even abstract, provocation compared to US activities in and around Ukraine
Absolutely
Absolutely agree. We've gone apeshit aggressive over in Europe. The Russians and Chinese are usually more measured/calculating, so that's the source of my trepidation.
I think they still are measured and calculated. Just at a slightly increased tempo!
No doubt the newly constituted Space Force is fully capable of dealing with this new technological invention - the balloon - in a clandestine manner.
But on a serious note, it wasn't too many years ago that Russia and the US had a treaty for overflights called the Open Skies treaty where reconnaissance aircraft were allowed to fly over the others' territory. Of course, advance notice was required of the flights, and I believe flight plans had to be agreed upon. The military would receive message traffic notification of any scheduled overflight. From what I've read, the US withdrew from the treaty a few years ago.
Space Force. Another Trump "drain the swamp" initiative. Boy, was I wrong about that guy!
The US (and UK/AUS lapdogs) need to think carefully about what hypersonic missiles can do to aircraft carriers before they ramp up the pressure against the Chinese.
That was then, this is now. Do we really want to get into a shootdown showdown of satellites? Answer: No. Obviously not. The knowledge provided by spy satellites provides security against surprise attacks.
This is not a satellite, it's balloon at 55K feet. Aircraft can fly higher than that. It's nowhere in the realm of "space" so it's fair game.
Liking it wasn't the point.