• zephyreks@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      To avoid any potential data collection? The US didn’t know what the balloon’s capabilities or purpose were until they shot it down. Until then, treat everything as a threat. It’s SOP.

        • zephyreks@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          Read your favourite general’s statement and get back to me. It’s simple English.

            • zephyreks@lemmy.ca
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              1 year ago

              Yes, and what exactly do you think that means?

              Also, props to Lemmy for handling this discussion, because the latency is way less than Reddit.

              • USNewsJunkie@newsie.social
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                1 year ago

                @zephyreks That means it wasn’t able to collect data in part because of the countermeasures that contributed to preventing it from collecting data. If that was not the case, why wouldn’t the BG have just said, “no it wouldn’t have mattered because it wasn’t trying to collect data.”?

                • zephyreks@lemmy.ca
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                  1 year ago

                  Because they needed to justify the hassle and spending they spent trying to prevent it from collecting? Do you think the US military budget grows on trees?

                  • USNewsJunkie@newsie.social
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                    1 year ago

                    @zephyreks lol I can’t imagine the mental gymnastics you have to jump through to arrive at your worldview. For you to think that in that moment, while being questioned by a reporter about a Chinese balloon and the collection of data that his immediate thought was I need to justify the budget… It’s just astounding.