[Helobubbas] China's Spy Balloon Over Montana Is Part Of A Larger, More Troubling Pattern

Wed Feb 8 03:50:47 PST 2023

One theory I heard that I think is very plausible is that the balloon was
supposed to self-destruct before reaching the mainland, but the
mechanism(s) failed.  While true the balloon complements satellites well, I
can't help but think China would have completely expected the thing to be
shot down over Alaska.  If not, then we are in even bigger trouble than I
thought.  That's not to say they weren't collecting the whole time, because
why not?  They have been doing stuff like this for years and nobody has
cared.  Our government certainly did nothing about it.  They used to at
least have the decency to pretend their computer networks and "private
servers" were hacked.  Now our entire government more or less just feigns
surprise or outrage that China is overtly stealing state secrets in broad
daylight while they look on clutching their pearls and shouting, "Somebody
should do something!"  This is just one example:

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/23/politics/fbi-investigation-huawei-china-defense-department-communications-nuclear/index.html

Far more disturbing is the fact that the IC clearly withheld past
overflights (slight as they were) from the previous administration
because...reasons.  In fact, it was a racist conspiracy theory to even
whisper a hint of wrongdoing by [unnamed country] during that entire
administration.  A member of the intel committee slept with a Chinese spy
and any talk at accountability for that was dismissed as partisan
bickering.  That is to say nothing of the seasoned Senator who had a
Chinese spy as her longtime domestic employee.  Now, the same government
intel complex that committed completely to a fake dossier to overthrow an
American President while slowly replacing the Taliban with...well,
the Taliban, is shocked, SHOCKED to discover spying going on.

As long as China keeps making cheap junk and "reinvesting" back into
American corporations...and politics, they can do literally whatever they
want.  At least I tell myself that.  It is far more comforting to me than a
reality where all this can simply be chalked up to incompetence at the
highest levels of our government.

On Tue, Feb 7, 2023 at 11:11 PM Marc Liebman <marc at marcliebman.com> wrote:

> The advantage of the balloon is staying power, i.e. it can stay in one
> place for longer than a satellite can. We used have charts that showed the
> path of Soviet and PRC satellite that gave is swath and times and we used
> to operate accordingly.
>
>
>
> So, the question is why did the PRC send it?  Was it a provocation? Or did
> they need better intel? This is typical of the regime, i.e. always poking
> sharp sticks at their adversaries – Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the
> list goes on.
>
>
>
> Again, why?  What did they hope to gain? Clearly, they understood the
> political risks.
>
>
>
> Marc Liebman
>
> www.marcliebman.com
>
> *Author of*:
>
> *Cherubs 2*
>
> *Big Mother 40*
>
> *Render Harmless*
>
> *Forgotten*
>
> *Inner Look*
>
> *Moscow Airlift*
>
> *The Simushir Island Incident*
>
> *Raider of the Scottish Coast*
>
> *Carronade*
>
> *Flight of the Pawnee*
>
> *Failure to Fire*
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From: *Helobubbas <helobubbas-bounces at helobubbas.com> on behalf of
> ahaefner at aol.com <ahaefner at aol.com>
> *Date: *Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 12:31 PM
> *To: *helobubbas at helobubbas.com <helobubbas at helobubbas.com>,
> helobubbas at helobubbas.com <helobubbas at helobubbas.com>
> *Subject: *Re: [Helobubbas] China's Spy Balloon Over Montana Is Part Of A
> Larger, More Troubling Pattern
>
> I tend to go with the official statements that the balloon couldn't
> collect any intell that their low satellites aren't already collecting, but
> that doesn't answer the dilemma of the Trojan Horse; what else could be in
> the belly of the basket?
>
>
>
> Is that why you wait for a safe zone to take it down? If so that doesn't
> answer the question of what were you going to do if it started to descend
> on a path to a major city/base etc (target)?
>
>
>
> Just wondering what we really knew and didn't know as it first entered our
> airspace over Alaska?
>
>
>
> W/r, AL
>
>
> In a message dated 2/4/2023 11:08:36 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> russ.smith at me.com writes:
>
>
>
>
>
> And, the gov’t needs to retrieve it within 12 miles of the coast to
> prevent “an international incident”…  maybe a few well place shots with
> steel bullets to start its deflation/ descent before that?
>
>
>
> On Feb 4, 2023, at 09:58, Marc Liebman <marc at marcliebman.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> The warrior in me says shoot it or them down. That’s what the PRC, DPRK,
> Soviet Union/Russia does when our recon planes came near their borders.
>
>
>
> So, I don’t understand the reasoning. The PRC is going to poke and prod
> until we do something. If this balloon goes down over Montana, what is it
> going to land on, some cows? The payload would be worth its weight in gold
> in that we’ll learn more about their capabilities and see what IP was
> stolen.
>
>
>
> The cynic in me says we have nothing to shoot it down with….
>
>
>
> Marc Liebman
>
> www.marcliebman.com
>
> *Author of*:
>
> *Cherubs 2*
>
> *Big Mother 40*
>
> *Render Harmless*
>
> *Forgotten*
>
> *Inner Look*
>
> *Moscow Airlift*
>
> *The Simushir Island Incident*
>
> *Raider of the Scottish Coast*
>
> *Carronade*
>
> *Flight of the Pawnee*
>
> *Failure to Fire*
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From: *Helobubbas <helobubbas-bounces at helobubbas.com> on behalf of
> Harold Brattland <habrattland at arvig.net>
> *Date: *Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 11:45 AM
> *To: *Helobubbas <helobubbas at helobubbas.com>
> *Subject: *Re: [Helobubbas] China's Spy Balloon Over Montana Is Part Of A
> Larger, More Troubling Pattern
>
> So who has the catchers mitt, Coasties or Navy, to catch the balloon when
> it comes down off-shore??  Maybe those MH-53 with their tow gear to
> sweep-up the parts?
> AF Mid Air Retrieval Gear is in the bone yard, as is the old balloon
> chasers!
>
> h
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>
>
> On Feb 3, 2023, at 23:02, James Gould <nado.dad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> To allow this balloon to fly over one millimeter of U.S. territory is
> unconscionable! To allow it to continue over most of the country is treason.
>
>
>
> On Fri, Feb 3, 2023, 11:52 Michael G. Brattland <
> mgbrattland at gerlecreek.com> wrote:
>
>
> https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/chinas-spy-balloon-over-montana-is-part-of-a-larger-more-troubling-pattern
>
> *CDR Mike Brattland, USN (Ret.) **mgbrattland at brattland.org*
> <mgbrattland at brattland.org>   *mgbrattland at gerlecreek.com*
> <mgbrattland at gerlecreek.com>
>
> *retiredaffairs at navalhelicopterassn.org*
> <retiredaffairs at navalhelicopterassn.org>  *mgbrattland at helobubbas.com*
> <mgbrattland at helobubbas.com>
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