“Would you like to ride in my Chinese spy balloon….”

[BitterYoungMatador2]

Didn’t see a thread on this yet and now we allegedly have a second one. I’m sure it’s fine though.

https://cnn.it/3HWNU72

 

[Bubbler]

The only thing related to a balloon I'm willing to get into a shooting war about is whether the English or German version of "99 Luft Balloons" is better.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Passed over STL earlier this evening.

 

[Driftwood]

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

The only thing related to a balloon I'm willing to get into a shooting war about is whether the English or German version of "99 Luft Balloons" is better.

Whole lot of big corporations are gonna lose money if we get into a shootin’ war with China so we ain’t getting in ****.

 

[Bubbler]

Whole lot of big corporations are gonna lose money if we get into a shootin’ war with China so we ain’t getting in ****.

I'm not worried about war with China.

War over Nena? Go for your guns.

 

[Vombatus]

Passing up the equivalent of the U-2 incident, and all it would take is a BB gun by Ralphie.

Doesn’t anyone remember the Colorado balloon boy?

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

A Red Ryder BB has no hope of getting that high, but a small puncture would serve nicely to bring it down intact to see what technology the Chinese stole from us.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

 

[Batman]

A Red Ryder BB has no hope of getting that high, but a small puncture would serve nicely to bring it down intact to see what technology the Chinese stole from us.

Might not be that easy. Apparently there are a lot of very practical reasons why we couldn't shoot it down even if we wanted to, and if we wanted to why it might be a very bad idea given its size.
A quick Twitter thread:

 

[Batman]

Come to think of it, I might have something that'll do the trick.

 

[Vombatus]

Of course I meant BB gun from a plane.

Really just wanted to make a Christmas Story reference.

Another option: lasers. Melt it.

Something else - do you all remember how the Corona spy satellites returned to the surface? They were captured in midair.

 

[swingline]

Another option: lasers. Melt it.

MTG says the Jews are on it.

 

[wicked]

Reports of some random explosion over the sky in Billings, MT. The nutjob governor apparently said it was one of these balloons and then walked it back (kinda).

 

[Spartan Squad]

The only thing related to a balloon I'm willing to get into a shooting war about is whether the English or German version of "99 Luft Balloons" is better.

English version didn’t reference pilots acting like Captain Kirk. So I think we have our answer.

 

[cyclingwriter2]

English version didn’t reference pilots acting like Captain Kirk. So I think we have our answer.

i know she says “everyone’s a super hero, everyone’s a Captain Kirk,” but I swear she says “sewer hero” and I’ve always imagined what a sewer hero might be.

 

[Driftwood]

In the Navy we had big red balloons that were 10x10 or maybe 12x12 probably. We'd inflate them, roll them off the fantail, shoot at them with .45s until they got out of range, switch to M-14s, then 50 cals, and finally the 5-inch. We'd hit it thousands of times.

 

[dixiehack]

So apparently in one scenario it goes down to Hilton Head, gets a local girl pregnant and then hauls ass for Gibraltar.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

i know she says “everyone’s a super hero, everyone’s a Captain Kirk,” but I swear she says “sewer hero” and I’ve always imagined what a sewer hero might be.

 

[Azrael]

Happy to see the same cowards too frightened to anger Putin in Ukraine now advocating the weakness-preventing, high-testosterone shootdown of a Chinese balloon.

Well played, usual suspects!