Late last week, for a select few of us, it felt like we were witnessing an updated version of a Sax Rohmer novel. Indeed, as the huge Chinese balloon drifted slowly eastward across the continental United States the entire affair reeked of the nefarious plots hatched by the evil, Dr. Fu Manchu.
Of course Fu Manchu didn't actually live in China. He haunted the dank basements, streets, and warehouses of old London. But, hey, James Bond never had blonde hair like Daniel Craig does either. Both of which proves everything morphs one way, or the other in the new millennium.
The massive balloon was first detected over the Aleutians on January 28th. By the 30th it was in Canadian airspace. However, on January 31st it re-entered the U.S. as republicans like to say, illegally. On February 1st the Billings, Gazette published a photo of it hanging in the perfectly blue Montana sky. At that point the excrement hit the fan.
The next day the Defense Department issued a statement saying it was tracking the balloon, taking precautions that prevented it from gathering sensitive information and assuring everyone it was well above the altitudes passenger air traffic frequented. The DOD spokesperson cryptically added, the department had previously tracked unidentified balloons over American air space the last few years. Meanwhile public interest in what was happening was fueled by clear skies and the ability of anyone with a decent pair of binoculars to see the damn thing.
On the third of the month the Chinese admitted the, "airship," was theirs. They said it was a civilian project and had been blown off course. Its purpose was, "scientific," mainly meteorological. The excuse sounded a bit lame tor many Americans who have a hard time believing anything Chinese is a civilian enterprise. It didn't help everyone here knew the last major scientific export by Chinta was COVID-19.
By then the republicans had reached their limit. Calls to shoot the balloon down echoed through the halls of congress and on social media. Marjorie Taylor Greene said she hoped some, "average Joe," would knock it out of the sky. It is unclear exactly how that could happen since the balloon was drifting at 60,000 feet. The only plausible explanation is she is of the opinion the second amendment allows American citizens to own and use surface to air missiles in order to maintain a well regulated militia.
What ever the case, the balloon drifted east south east. It exited the U.S. mainland on Saturday,. although not for long. An American fighter shot it down within the 12 mile coastal limit, which seemed to satisfy GOP balloon blood lust, but pissed off the Chinese to no end, even if playing the wronged party in the episode was a stretch. Besides they should have known things weren't going to end well when Secretary of State Anthony Blinken cancelled his trip to Bejing because of the incident.
Despite the demise of the balloon republicans claimed Biden showed great weakness when he failed to gun it down over Butte. Biden said he followed the advice of the military who had told him the safest course of action was to wait until it was over open water before destroying it. They were probably right. There was no telling what kind of damage the falling debris could cause, plus you never know what is up there for sure. For all anyone knows the communications system on board might be sustained by a small nuclear power source. Better to down it in the ocean than, say, downtown Joplin, Missouri.
The former president and current candidate Donald Trump posted on social media the Chinese would NEVER attempt such a stunt when he was in office. Then the Pentegon released a statement saying they actually had--three times. Trump and others in his administration vehemently denied any balloon incursions took place on their watch.
So the conundrum the voting public faces is simple. Don you believe the denial of a man who still denies he lost a national election, or the military who shot the fucker down off the coast of South Carolina?
As usual in America these days the answer to that question will break along party lines.
What else can we expect?
I mean other than fewer Chinese balloons and more Fu Manchu books and movies.
2-6-23
It would have been funny had it headed to Roswell, NM
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