Posted on 02/03/2023 10:50:48 AM PST by Right Wing Vegan
GOP lawmakers are calling for the United States to shoot down the alleged Chinese spy balloon found floating over Montana on Wednesday.
The Pentagon said it would not shoot down the balloon, arguing it "does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground at this time," and China blamed the incursion into U.S. airspace on a civilian aircraft that had deviated off course. Montana is home to sensitive nuclear military installations.
"It was a mistake to not shoot down that Chinese spy balloon when it was over a sparsely populated area," Sen. Marco Rubio (FL), the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, tweeted. "This is not some hot air balloon, it has a large payload of sensors roughly the size of two city buses & the ability to maneuver independently."
"President Biden should stop coddling and appeasing the Chinese communists," Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) tweeted on Friday. "Bring the balloon down now and exploit its tech package, which could be an intelligence bonanza."
A defense official said Thursday the intelligence value of the destroyed balloon would be minimal and that the Defense Department doesn't want to risk hurting people on the ground.
Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) dismissed what he called "bowing" to China's "provocation."
"Shoot. It. Down. The Chinese spy balloon is clear provocation. In Montana we do not bow. We shoot it down. Take the shot," he tweeted on Thursday.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) emphatically agreed, saying the Pentagon's argument on safety "doesn't sell."
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) told Fox News the presence of the spy balloon is "disturbing."
Why hasn't the Biden administration shot this spy balloon down?" she asked. "It's very disturbing to know that it's still up there in the air near our military installations. The time is now. Let's get this thing out of the air."
Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said the U.S. government continues to monitor the balloon closely.
I’m a cracker…
True, and gives the Republicans a chance to pretend to be tough on something when they aren't tough on anything substantive.
He wasn’t talking to you…
Let’s just agree to disagree. I do agree something needs to be done, but at a diplomatic level more than shooting it down, unintended consequences and such. And there should be repercussions up to expulsions of senior diplomats and more. From another point of view, I am not sure why we even trade with them. They are Communist and Antiethical to our culture. One of Nixon’s biggest mistakes was opening up to them.
Aha. You’re right, thanks.
You were saying?
Yep. That’s a miry one.
No problem.
lol. That was to another poster who told me poetically to go fornicate myself. Not you. There is nothing wrong with people disagreeing. I still believe we agree on more than we disagree with.
Just like Milley monitors books about transsexuals?
Don’t we have an airborne laser or two that need testing ? Should be undetectable and might let a lot of helium out of that thing.
You gave yourself away when you led off with the weasel-wording false equivalence between left and right.
This isn't an echo chamber; that would be Reddit, which it sounds like you came from.
= = = = = = =
Hey Bikkuri, it sounds like we have a Never-Trumper troll or retread based on the following sentence:
Much like a certain sore loser many on here have an unhealthy attachment to.
Somewhat related…I work in electrical distribution engineering.
China makes a significant amount of our materials used.
The US should immediately make manufacturing of certain products a national security issue.
The electrical system, all facets, food and medicine for starters.
Don’t ruin the narrative. If it wasn’t for conspiracy theories and ‘stolen’ elections this place would be covered in digital tumbleweeds. I need my daily fix of FR for the small percentage of actual interesting content and the chuckles I get from some of the more eccentric posters.
113 posted on 12/25/2022, 7:38:34 PM by WalkerinSC
A close up view of the CCP spy balloon.
Or quietly releasing bio-warfare?
🙏🙏🙏 for the USA.
An airgun would bring it down best. It's a balloon. Make a small hole. Three hours later it's in Toledo Ohio drooping over a Walmart.
Unless the Chinese put explosive self destruct charges in their weather balloons?
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