The Chinese surveillance balloon that floated across the United States recently was not exactly the cutting edge of super-secret spy technology. For one thing, there it was in plain sight for days, visible to anyone along its path. Spy satellites and other methods accomplish much more — and are more difficult to spot.
What the balloon did masterfully, however, was stoke rage and finger-pointing on the ground. It’s actually a brilliant psychological warfare tactic: send a simple balloon across the United States and watch the superpower bicker and fight.
At least the F-22 got to log it’s first air-to-air “kill.”
Personally, I’m more accustomed to spying that comes from domestic snoops closer to home. I only wish the growing surveillance state — foreign and domestic — was as easy (and fun!) to spot as a big fat balloon, gently floating overhead.
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