US government — always absurd, always criminal? — balloons and literal-metaphorical train wrecks

19 February 2023

Stephen Selmer approximated how much . . .

. . . the Lake Huron (12 February 2023) balloon shoot-down cost us:

Citing intelligence community reports, Joe Biden said the three things shot down during the last week or so were “most likely balloons.”

So how much did it cost to destroy these objects that may only be $12-180 each?

As a case study, I considered the Pentagon’s operation over Lake Huron on February 12

According to my analysis of government documents, flight tracking data, and media reports, I estimate that it cost $1,953,127 to shoot down what was “most likely” a balloon.

To calculate the unit cost of the AIM-9x missiles, I looked at the Air Force’s FY2022 procurement figures from the DOD Comptroller and divided the total purchase value by the quantity of missiles purchased. I referred to the Government Accountability Office for the cost per flying hour for each aircraft. To get the number and type of missiles and aircraft involved in the operation, I relied on media reports and statements from DOD officials. To calculate flight times, I used media reports to ascertain the takeoff and landing times for the F-16s, but I analyzed flight tracking data to get the takeoff and landing times for the support aircraft, the KC-135 and E-3.

Ridiculous disproportion is usually noticed by someone

For instance, China was not happy with the United States' similarly disproportionate (earlier occurring) China-balloon shootdown:

Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said the "balloon" was a civilian unmanned airship, which was blown into US airspace due to a strong westerly wind. We requested the US to handle it calmly, professionally through communication with China.

"Regretfully, the US disregarded those facts, deployed advanced fighter jets and shot down a 'balloon' with missiles," Wang said.

"Such action is absurd, hysterical and pure abuse of military force."

It is an apparent violation of international norms, in particular the principle of the Chicago Convention, or the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

There are numerous balloons floating around the Earth, belonging to different countries. Will the US shoot all of them down? Wang challenged.

The US action did not prove its strength, but achieved only the opposite, the senior diplomat stressed.

Notice that the American military industrial complex has not said anything notably evidence-bearing about the supposedly threatening spy and weapons technology found in the downed Chinese balloon's debris.

Intelligently proportionate, the United States has not been.

Looking at We the People's sad condition

Gary D. Barnett wrote that:

It is interesting to look at time lines to find out the sequence of events, so as to find if one is being used to cover another.

The East Palestine train ‘derailment’ actually happened on February 3rd, which was two weeks ago.

This is one of the most devastating toxic releases of deadly poison ever to occur, and was intentionally detonated under the guise of protecting the residents from a possible explosion.

In other words, this train full of incredibly deadly chemicals, was intentionally blown up (exploded) to ‘protect’ the citizens from a possible explosion. Very little if anything was reported about his life-changing event by any major news outlet, and did not become well known until many days later when the uproar reached high levels.

The White House and government did not comment for a week.

In the meantime, the first so-called Chinese balloon that was recognized on February 3rd, (the same day of the toxic release in Ohio) was shot down over the Atlantic the next day, and the balloon fiasco became the most major story in the mainstream media, while thousands of people’s lives were threatened, fish and animals were dying, and lethal poisons were traveling across the country.

Coincidence? Not hardly.

If you want to be situationally aware . . .

. . . you might consider reading Barnett's pointed perspective.

Here summarized, in my words:

According to American Government's statements and actions, shooting down harmless balloons makes us safe.

So does breathing in carcinogenic chemicals and smoke.

Surrendering our lives and wellbeing to the Corporatist Plutocracy is — we are manipulated into believing — the only way to exist.

The moral? — The foul quality of American Government . . .

. . . has gone beyond our ability to humorously parody.

Government is now so ridiculously absurd — when evaluated from the Social Contract perspective — that one cannot, reasonably, credit it with anything other than unalloyed, evil intent.

PeteFree.com

US government — always absurd, always criminal? — balloons and literal-metaphorical train wrecks