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BuffaloInCahoots t1_j8yh4j9 wrote

Reply to comment by jayfeather31 in Object downed by US missile may have been amateur hobbyists’ $12 balloon by Uncle_Leo93

The same people complaining about this are the same ones that lost their shit because we didn’t shoot down the first one fast enough.

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blind_bambi t1_j8yhq2f wrote

Some are the same but I think it's worth complaining about and I didn't think the first one needed to be shot down

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BuffaloInCahoots t1_j8yjwvr wrote

The first one was shot down when it needed to be, we definitely wanted to take a look at it and it clearly wasn’t a weather balloon. This one might not have needed to be shot down but everyone’s on high alert now. Also the cost is pointless, it’s good training and we spent way way more on stupider things.

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blind_bambi t1_j8yk1ij wrote

Whatever dude.

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ErectionDenier2024 t1_j8yr7sn wrote

What a well thought out, nuanced response. /s

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blind_bambi t1_j8ytxjz wrote

They didn't actually give a reason for saying it needed to be shot down. Justifying it by saying the practice is good is kind of bs that deserves nothing more than a whatever dude lol

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BuffaloInCahoots t1_j8yyhlw wrote

The high alert was the main reason. The training and wasteful money was to counter the cost of shooting it down. I don’t know how much is grandstanding by gov officials but until recently they all seemed pretty concerned about it. Also the balloon was at an altitude that could interfere with planes, so we shot it down. Didn’t really cost us anything and gave some pilot a little training. The only thing that concerns me is now the whole world knows our capabilities. We can accurately track and shoot down a balloon sized object, with a almost no existent radar signature. I’m undecided if that’s a bad thing or a good thing for everyone to know.

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One_Hand_Smith t1_j900qfy wrote

Let's be honest it wasn't because of planes, if it was you don't wait until it crosses the entire continental usa to down it lol.

I think it was just pr personally, lil bit of political capital can go a long way if used correctly, and if there is one thing america wants on china, is political power.

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BuffaloInCahoots t1_j900ywf wrote

I should have been specific the danger to planes was the one in Alaska. If I remember right it was at 20k which is in flight range. The one that crossed the states was at 60-70k and would only have been a danger once we shot it down.

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One_Hand_Smith t1_j9027l6 wrote

Okay, that one I get behind atleast since it was just entering American air space.

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Toolatetootired t1_j91ld1y wrote

What you are saying has merit but is missing quite a bit of detail. The one that they didn't shoot down (until it crossed the entirety of the United States) was huge and loaded with technology capable of spying on the US. These ones they did shoot down were likely hobby balloons.

So they did nothing while we were spied on; queue public outcry.

Then they wasted a lot of money and effort to blow up something to try to distract us from their inaction the first time around; queue public outcry.

The details matter.

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