# The Pentagon is tracking a Chinese spy balloon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 3, 2023, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228 "2023-02-03T01:32:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/281 "2023-02-05T15:37:59Z")
That was probably the best target. I’ve read that the missile may have had an inert warhead, intended to just destroy the envelope. You would not want to destroy the equipment you want to examine. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/282 "2023-02-05T15:40:13Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > You would not want to destroy the equipment you want to examine. What are the chances the Pentagon and NSA don’t already know everything about that package before examining it? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/283 "2023-02-05T15:44:06Z")
I’m curious why the Chinese didn’t program the balloon to stay above 100,000 feet at all times. Might not have prevented the fighter shoot-down but might have made it a lot tougher to pull off. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/284 "2023-02-05T16:00:53Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > The shoot down seems demonstrative, especially since it was done where muggles couldn’t reach the crash site before the authorities. That just sounds like good policy if you’re taking down some other nation’s hardware and want to retrieve it to examine. You don’t need Rancher Bob declaring that the Chinese surveillance package that landed on his property belongs to him now. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/285 "2023-02-05T16:05:42Z")
Good point. Perhaps this will test the source of their information. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/286 "2023-02-05T16:17:53Z")
Hopefully, the shoot-down will put the balloon controversy on the back burner (sorry), and I can lose the [Fifth Dimension earworm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2hI3-KvYZY). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/287 "2023-02-05T16:35:08Z")
I’m not touching that link. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/288 "2023-02-05T16:50:08Z")
🎼 Up, up, and away in my … 🎶 🎵 You’re welcome. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/289 "2023-02-05T16:56:08Z")
Funny - I went in a completely different direction. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zwAcvIZzuM0/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHeA4AC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgYChBMA8=&rs=AOn4CLB8eOx2Zs9FLEMrCZ_Z0K_mPv7CPQ "Creedence Clearwater Revival - It Came Out of the Sky") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwAcvIZzuM0) ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/290 "2023-02-05T16:58:20Z")
Oh, that’s got some traction. Shit. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/291 "2023-02-05T17:01:01Z")
Has this become a meme in China yet? [![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jxoip5AUNl8/XNt8zolJn9I/AAAAAAAAJyQ/C3oTcE1CkS4EOjfUVFzlPF6xkCClkTGVACLcBGAs/s1600/The%2BRed%2BBalloon%2B14.jpg) ](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jxoip5AUNl8/XNt8zolJn9I/AAAAAAAAJyQ/C3oTcE1CkS4EOjfUVFzlPF6xkCClkTGVACLcBGAs/s1600/The%2BRed%2BBalloon%2B14.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/292 "2023-02-05T17:04:54Z")
Of course about now it’d be appropriate for someone here to liken the White House and DoD’s reaction to the unexpected unwelcome balloon to the epic story of our own @Scylla’s encounter 20-ish years ago with an unexpected unwelcome blimp. > [@The horror of blimps](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-horror-of-blimps/152885): > > Last week while travelling I stopped at a Zany Brainy store and saw that they had a blimp for sale. It’s called Airship Earth, and it’s a great big balloon with a map of the Earth on it, and two propellors hanging from the bottom. You blow up the balloon with helium put batteries in it, and you have a radio controll indoor blimp. I’d seen these things for sale in Sharper Image catalogs for $60-$75. At Zany Brainy it was on clearance for $15. What a deal! Last night my wife was playing tenn… With a nod to this current thread as well: > [@Tell me you're a Doper without telling me you're a Doper](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-youre-a-doper-without-telling-me-youre-a-doper/978799): > > You knew this was coming. Since the “Tell me you’re a woman” and “Tell me you’re a man” threads are problematic, let’s try one that we can all join. Here’s mine: when I come across a bullshit claim, I simply reply “Cite?” I invoke Og. I call out threadshitting on other platforms. Any more? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/293 "2023-02-05T17:08:18Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Has this become a meme in China yet? > … Or this: _Neunundneunzig Luftballons_: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hiwgOWo7mDc/maxresdefault.jpg "NENA | 99 Red Balloons [1984] (Official HD Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiwgOWo7mDc) There’s a lot more explosions and smoke in the video than you’d expect from the lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/294 "2023-02-05T17:22:31Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Of course about now it’d be appropriate for someone here to liken the White House and DoD’s reaction to the unexpected unwelcome balloon to the epic story of our own @Scylla’s encounter 20-ish years ago with an unexpected unwelcome blimp. _Master master_ _This is recorded through a fly’s ear_ _And you have to have a fly’s eye to see it_ _It’s the thing that’s gonna make Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band fat_ _Frank it’s the big hit_ _It’s the blimp_ _It’s the blimp Frank_ _It’s the blimp_ _When I see you floatin’ down the gutter_ _I’ll give you a bottle of wine_ [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MpA4XpnnI_U/hqdefault.jpg "Captain Beefheart - The Blimp (mousetrapreplica)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpA4XpnnI_U) ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/295 "2023-02-05T17:27:33Z")
For all six years of my elementary school education, once a year we’d see the projector and get excited. Then the film would start and it was The Red Balloon. And we were all disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/296 "2023-02-05T17:40:00Z")
One internet point for you for your correct word choice pedantry. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/297 "2023-02-05T17:40:07Z")
I’m convinced a copy of that film was included with the purchase of every projector sold in the 1960s. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/298 "2023-02-05T18:02:08Z")
There is some speculation that this may be the highest-altitude air-to-air kill ever yet recorded, let’s hope it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/299 "2023-02-05T18:06:49Z")
What _The Economist_ says. > **[The Sino-American rivalry needs guardrails to contain small incidents](https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/02/04/the-sino-american-rivalry-needs-guardrails-to-contain-small-incidents)** > > With luck, the balloon affair will not escalate, but something like it could ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2023, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/300 "2023-02-05T18:08:30Z")
Excerpt from above link. “With luck the balloon incident will not escalate. But something else like it could. It is in the interests of everyone that the competition between China and America is calibrated—to the extent that it can be. If Messrs Biden and Xi do not want relations to be determined by accidents, errors and misunderstandings, they need to find better ways to communicate. Long before the balloon crossed into America’s airspace, there had been discussion of new mechanisms to mitigate risks during crises. The Biden administration has talked explicitly about the need for “guardrails”, such as opening direct communication lines between the two sides’ military leaders and establishing protocols for their ships and planes to interact safely. China has been more cautious, viewing any agreements as an attempt to limit its military options. Yet such agreements helped contain hostility in the cold war.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228.md?page=16)