Chinese Spy Balloon?

@akalinus (40509)

United States

February 3, 2023 12:03pm CST

For the last several days, a mysterious balloon has been floating over Montana. The object hovered over nuclear silos. It is the size of three buses and has heavy equipment dangling off of it. US officials think it is a Chinese spy balloon. They said that it will soon head toward the southeast. I think it might be going over the Pentagon. A lot of other people think so too. Chinese officials say it is a weather balloon that got out of control and floated over to the US. What do you think? Is it a spy balloon or did it just go with the wind?

15 people like this

18 responses

@koopharper (7477)

• Canada

3 Feb 23

Chinese officials can say what they want. It's a spy balloon. I believe that they sent it as a provocation more than anything else because I don't believe they can really detect anything that way that they don't already know.

4 people like this

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@koopharper (7477)

• Canada

3 Feb 23

@akalinus That's believable.

3 people like this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

4 Feb 23

It spent several days hovering over nuke silos in Montana. Then it hurried away to the middle of the country. Where is it now?

1 person likes this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

3 Feb 23

I believe it is too. I have heard that it could be a diversion to keep us from paying attention to something else.

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@LadyDuck (458642)

• Switzerland

4 Feb 23

I do not think it is a weather balloon, this is their response to the two US ships that stationed in front of Taiwan... you annoy me, I annoy you.

3 people like this

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@LadyDuck (458642)

• Switzerland

7 Feb 23

@akalinus Politicians are more and more like kids in a kindergarten, it is scary.

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

6 Feb 23

I think you are right.

1 person likes this

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@JamesHxstatic (29256)

• Eugene, Oregon

3 Feb 23

Hard to say, but it makes things between China and the US more tense that it was already & our Secretary of State has canceled the visit that was scheduled this weekend.

3 people like this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

3 Feb 23

It is not a good situation. It is very scary to me.

2 people like this

@Dena91 (15904)

• United States

3 Feb 23

I would think it was a spy balloon, not a weather one. The lie of a "weather balloon" have been around forever it seems. Also the location of it, near a nuclear silo.

I trust no government, ours, or any other country. They are all completely corrupt.

3 people like this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

3 Feb 23

I am just hearing that the balloon is now over Missouri. I am waiting to hear more details. It might be headed for St. Louis, MO.

1 person likes this

@Shivram59 (31889)

• India

3 Feb 23

@akalinus I'll not be surprised if it is found to be a spy balloon.China can do anything.We Indians know them.Unfortunately we are destined to live with two rough neighbours-China and Pakistan.Why did the American officials not shoot it down??

2 people like this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

3 Feb 23

They thought it would create debris that could injure people or property. They also thought it could cause an international incident.

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@Shivram59 (31889)

• India

3 Feb 23

@akalinus Did they follow it?? Where did it go??

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@akalinus (40509)

• United States

3 Feb 23

@Shivram59 They are saying it is over Missouri, USA. That is in the middle of the country. Someone took a picture of it and it came close to a private jet flying in the area. Apparently, it has dropped enough to interfere with air traffic.

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@CarolDM (203452)

• Nashville, Tennessee

3 Feb 23

It is absurd the government did not allow the military to bring this balloon down. Do you think China would allow us to do this, I don't think so. Yes, a spy balloon.

2 people like this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

3 Feb 23

I don't think China would let that kind of balloon float over the country. I think they would shoot it down.

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

3 Feb 23

@CarolDM Yes, but our president did not make the decision. Some farmers in Montana said they would shoot it down with .22s but it is up so high that it would not work.

@CarolDM (203452)

• Nashville, Tennessee

3 Feb 23

@akalinus There is no doubt in my mind. And we should do the same. Senior State Department officials said Friday it was a "statement of fact" that China has violated U.S. sovereignty with this surveillance balloon.

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@youless (112123)

• Guangzhou, China

4 Feb 23

I think a weather balloon can not make a good sense since it is a long fly from China to USA. Then it is more like a spy balloon. But I think it is a stupid way to use a balloon to do the spy work because it is already 2023 now. Now I wonder whether there is something wants to make a tense relationship between USA and China on purpose in this way? As even if China wants to spy USA with such a big balloon, at least it won't happen right before the visit of Secretary of State.

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@youless (112123)

• Guangzhou, China

5 Feb 23

@akalinus I think there must be some stories inside but we don't know yet. Is it about a visit to Taiwan and therefore it leads to a kind of revenge such as the spy balloon? Or will it a factor to affect the investment market?

1 person likes this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

4 Feb 23

China is warning us not to make a big deal over it. That means it is a big deal. There is another balloon floating over Latin America and people have taken photos of that one also.

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@akalinus (40509)

• United States

6 Feb 23

@youless It is scary to think that they might be warning us because of Taiwan. I have heard talk about it.

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@snowy22315 (170222)

• United States

3 Feb 23

I don't believe the Chinese as far as I can throw them, and gee, what a coincidence it just happens to float over where nukes are stored.

2 people like this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

3 Feb 23

That does sound strange to me.

1 person likes this

Anne Marie Guyer

@LeaPea2417 (36474)

• Toccoa, Georgia

4 Feb 23

I think it is a Spy Balloon.

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Anne Marie Guyer

@LeaPea2417 (36474)

• Toccoa, Georgia

4 Feb 23

@akalinus I just read how Biden had it shot down as it started flying over the Atlantic Ocean.

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@akalinus (40509)

• United States

4 Feb 23

Oh yeah! No doubt about it.

1 person likes this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

5 Feb 23

@LeaPea2417 Apparently, he thought there would be less danger to people and property if they shot it down over the ocean.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (326052)

• Rockingham, Australia

4 Feb 23

This has been on our news too. The world situation is very worrying.

2 people like this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

4 Feb 23

I worry about the world too. The tension between nations is so high that you could cut it with a knife. It would not take much to become much more dangerous.

1 person likes this

@Namelesss (3368)

• United States

3 Feb 23

Hmm, guess we don't have enough to keep our brains occupied. I hope it's just a random 'got away' with no actual spy capabilities or weapons. But I'm sure someone know exactly what it is.

2 people like this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

3 Feb 23

If they know what direction it is headed, they know a lot more about it than they are saying.

2 people like this

@LindaOHio (156722)

• United States

4 Feb 23

Either way they aren't going to learn anything new. Let it float.

1 person likes this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

4 Feb 23

I don't think we should ignore this. It is a provocation. They want to start something with us, imho.

1 person likes this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

6 Feb 23

@LindaOHio Yes, but it is making China mad. They cannot seem to believe that we would not like someone spying on us.

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@LindaOHio (156722)

• United States

6 Feb 23

@akalinus Well it was shot down over the ocean. That should make most people happy.

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@Kandae11 (53677)

•

3 Feb 23

I heard about this over the news. Hard to tell exactly what happened there. However a visit to China by an important official from the U.S ( don't recall his name ) has been canceled until further notice.

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@akalinus (40509)

• United States

3 Feb 23

I'm not sure what is going on but there have been heightened tensions between the US and China.

1 person likes this

@porwest (78759)

• United States

10 Feb 23

I think the Chinese were full of BS and their intentions were very much less than benign. I think it took too long to shoot it down and who knows what intel they gathered before we finally did?

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@akalinus (40509)

• United States

10 Feb 23

They have been examining the balloon and found it has high-tech antennas and devices inside. It was not a civilian project.

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@porwest (78759)

• United States

10 Feb 23

@akalinus Well, of course it wasn't.

@RebeccasFarm (86782)

• United States

3 Feb 23

I think if it is a ballooon why dont they just shoot it down?

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@RebeccasFarm (86782)

• United States

4 Feb 23

@akalinus Yes Jo Ann

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@akalinus (40509)

• United States

4 Feb 23

It is twelve miles high. They would need to use a missile. Also, they are afraid it could create a debris field that may injure people or damage property. That is the reason they are giving, anyway.

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@MALUSE (69413)

• Germany

3 Feb 23

I don't think that any member of the international myLot community can make an intelligent suggestion if the people in Montana don't know what the thingy is. Has nobody suggested a visit by extra-terrestrials? :-)

1 person likes this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

3 Feb 23

That was mentioned. Many people thought they should shoot it down. There were fighter jets circling around waiting for an order to shoot it down but it never came.

2 people like this

@JESSY3236 (18930)

• United States

7 Feb 23

I thought it was a weather balloon at first.

1 person likes this

@akalinus (40509)

• United States

8 Feb 23

The Chinese claim that it was a weather balloon but it was way beyond that.

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@lazydaizee (6738)

• United Kingdom

7 Feb 23

You never know who you can believe. I would be more worried about where it could land , especially if it is one that has got out of control.

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@akalinus (40509)

• United States

7 Feb 23

The balloon had propellers that maneuvered it. It was not out of control. I agree with you though. If something happened and it plunged to the ground, it would injure people and damage property.

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@akalinus (40509)

• United States

8 Feb 23

@nuttybookladyNo one seemed to know what to do about it. The president finally gave the order. I hope it was a good decision, They invaded our sovereignty and were spying on military sites.

1 person likes this