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Ariana Baio
Feb 04, 2023
'Chinese spy balloon' flies over US
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The US government announced on Thursday it is tracking a high-altitude balloon which they suspect is a Chinese surveillance balloon.
According to defense officials, the balloon is the size of three buses and flying “well above commercial air traffic” in Montana.
“Once the balloon was detected, the US government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information,” Pentagon press secretary Brig Gen Patrick S Ryder told reporters.
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He did not specify what the measures were but senior defense officials said they sent F-22 fighter jets to track it.
The announcement shocked many Americans and set Twitter alight with memes and responses about the mysterious Chinese surveillance balloon.
\u201cGoodnight Moon, \nGoodnight Chinese high-altitude spy balloon,\nGoodnight stars,\nGoodnight air,\nGoodnight persistent overhead reconnaissance everywhere.\u201d— Pete Kouretsos (@Pete Kouretsos) 1675389458
Some compared the airborne mystery to budget airline Spirit
\u201cSpirit airlines is in talks to buy the Chinese spy balloon in an effort to upgrade their systems.\u201d— Chef Andrew Gruel (@Chef Andrew Gruel) 1675422499
One wag brought up Eric Swalwell's links to a Chinese spy
\u201csomeone shoot down the chinese spy balloon before eric swalwell tries to take it to a hotel room\u201d— Ashley St. Clair (@Ashley St. Clair) 1675404011
Maybe someone could send up the infamous Trump balloon to intercept it?
\u201cThe Pentagon has released the first images of the Chinese Spy Balloon.\u201d— Katie Porters Whiteboard (@Katie Porters Whiteboard) 1675387178
\u201cThis is what Trumps response to the Chinese Spy Balloon would look like if he was still president\u201d— Harrison (@Harrison) 1675393380
Don't worry, Kari Lake says she's on it.
\u201cI\u2019m told there\u2019s a balloon that needs to be taken care of?\u201d— Kari Lake (@Kari Lake) 1675432199
Will the balloon be brave enough to float over certain states?
\u201cI bet the Chinese spy balloon isn\u2019t brave enough to fly over Alabama.\u201d— Catturd \u2122 (@Catturd \u2122) 1675385078
\u201cI don't think that Chinese balloon is gonna make it through Missouri in one piece.\u201d— Jasper Logan (@Jasper Logan) 1675435331
\u201cthere will be a cloud of blue dust after they shoot down the Chinese spy balloon, and china will be like "oh my god we're having a boy."\u201d— T. Becket Adams (@T. Becket Adams) 1675437363
\u201cLast thing the #chineseballoon sees flying over Mississippi\u201d— Aaron Marsh (@Aaron Marsh) 1675454337
Some have suggestions of what to do with the balloon once it's taken down.
\u201cCAPTURE THE SPY BALLOON AND MAKE IT THE TRIBUTE IN THE MACY'S DAY PARADE\u201d— Alex Thomas (@Alex Thomas) 1675451191
\u201cI want the balloon shot down but I also want Taco Bell to place a target in rural Montana and if the balloon hits it, we get free tacos.\u201d— Scott Kaufman (@Scott Kaufman) 1675445718
Defense officials did not share too many details as to why the balloon is above the continental US, what it could be looking for, or how the country will respond.
But lawmakers quickly stepped in offering their best ideas to get rid of the balloon.
The first, and seemingly most obvious solution being “shoot it down.”
\u201cBiden should shoot down the Chinese spy balloon immediately.\n\nPresident Trump would have never tolerated this.\n\nPresident Trump would have never tolerated many things happening to America.\u201d— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1675381631
\u201cShoot down the Chinese spy balloon.\n\nGo ahead and send the Secretary of State to China next week.\n \nHave @SecBlinken Look them in the eye and tell em- it better never happen again.\n\nThat\u2019s Peace Through Strength\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\u201d— Mike Pence (@Mike Pence) 1675451041
\u201cWhy won't Biden shoot down the Chinese spy balloon that is currently flying over the United States?\n\nThe Chinese Communist Party is a threat to our existence.\u201d— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@Sen. Marsha Blackburn) 1675377707
As some wondered why the US government had not taken down the balloon yet, conspiracies began to arise.
Some people believe the balloon had already acquired sensitive information that it was using against President Joe Biden.
\u201cPresident Biden has not shot down the Chinese spy balloon out of fear the CCP will release the compromising material they have on his family. Biden is a weak and feckless leader and the entire world knows it.\u201d— Righteous\u26a1\ufe0fCrusader (@Righteous\u26a1\ufe0fCrusader) 1675384948
\u201cHow long before they announce that more of Joe Biden\u2019s Classified Documents have been found on the Chinese Spy Balloon?\u201d— ALX \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@ALX \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1675433097
\u201cPresident Biden should stop coddling and appeasing the Chinese communists. Bring the balloon down now and exploit its tech package, which could be an intelligence bonanza.\u201d— Tom Cotton (@Tom Cotton) 1675427794
Others believe the balloon carried dangerous weapons that could destroy the US.
\u201c@walterkirn You should be concerned about what potential payload (possibly bio weapons) will be dispersed if they shoot it down\u201d— Walter Kirn (@Walter Kirn) 1675402352
\u201cHow do we know it\u2019s just a Chinese "spy balloon"? What if it contains a bio weapon? Are we seriously going to just take their word for it? Did we not learn our lesson with Covid? This device should be taken over immediately. This is an extreme national security threat!\u201d— Landon Starbuck (@Landon Starbuck) 1675396298
One person thought the balloon could fall and trigger a volcanic eruption at Yellowstone, which last erupted 70,000 years ago.
\u201c@hodgetwins Wonder what would happen if it was actually an EMP or possibly something that would set off a super volcano that\u2019s over due for eruption\ud83e\udee3\nYep, guess I\u2019m paranoid when a Chinese balloon is flying over the USA & our own pResident won\u2019t take out..\u201d— Hodgetwins (@Hodgetwins) 1675390067
The US government said the idea of shooting down the balloon had already been pondered upon, and Biden was advised not to take that action by the Pentagon due to fear of debris hitting people on the ground as reported by the New York Times.
According to officials, who requested to remain anonymous to the New York Times, this is not the first time China has sent a spy balloon to the US, and the government was not concerned the balloon posed a physical or military threat.
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