For several decades the American public has been instilled with an intrinsic fear of and hatred for China.
No singular event in this seemingly inevitable march to war is more emblematic of the American public’s warped psyche than the “Chinese Spy Balloon” narrative—perhaps due, in part, to its facial absurdity. The happening eclipses even similarly nonsensical yarns such as widespread TikTok paranoia (see the NSA’s PRISM program), China’s American farmland purchases (Chinese firms account for <.5% of all foreign-owned land in the U.S.), and the “invasion” of Chinese fentanyl through the Southern border (fentanyl trafficking is illegal in China).
…
While some populist Republicans have bravely departed from the establishment’s support for Ukraine, many led the chorus of voices urging escalation—and not diplomacy.
…
The banner narrative favored by mainline Republicans and the populist Right alike—that Joe Biden is weak—is insidious, because it implies that Biden should be more aggressive. Furthermore, it excuses Biden’s objectively ultra-hawkish policy against China.
Just in the last few weeks, the Biden administration continued its redoubling of the Asia Pivot launched by Barack Obama and furthered by Donald Trump: the U.S. Marine Corps opened a new base in Guam as the U.S. opened an embassy in the Solomon Islands, furthered diplomatic measures meant to militarize Japan, announced the opening of new military installations in the Philippines and Palau, and furthered a deal that would secure it exclusive military access to Micronesia, an area of the Pacific Ocean as large as the continental U.S.—all with the express and stated aim of confronting China.
…
Unfortunately, the prevailing narrative won the day—while Americans’ heads were in the clouds, imagining a biowarfare attack, or falsely reporting the balloon carried explosives, Sino-American relations deteriorated even further. Distressingly, the American public exhibited its eagerness to rush to just about any conclusion concerning China.
An Overblown Balloon Headline Inflates False Narrative on China
Tag: US Navy
How the Media Ignores Yemen
Since 2014, the tiny country of Yemen has been devastated by the ongoing civil war following the Houthi takeover of the government. It only got worse as in March 2015; President Barack Obama began to aid the Saudi Arabians in the war effort. As of February 2022, over 370,000 people have lost their lives thanks to the war thanks to lack of food, medical necessities, and bombings.
How the Media Ignores Yemen
Even after mandate lifted, unvaccinated sailors claim they’re being punished for their religious beliefs
A new brief filed in federal court alleges that the U.S. Navy continues to punish and discriminate against more than 4,000 unvaccinated Navy personnel based on their religious beliefs–even after the Department of Defense rescinded the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Even after mandate lifted, unvaccinated sailors claim they’re being punished for their religious beliefs
US bombed Nord Stream gas pipelines, claims investigative journalist Seymour Hersh
The bombing of the Nord Stream underwater gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea was a covert operation ordered by the White House and carried out by the CIA, a report by a veteran investigative journalist claims.
US bombed Nord Stream gas pipelines, claims investigative journalist Seymour Hersh
Full Story:
[2019] US military begins testing flying surveillance balloons across the country to TRACK people’s movements
The tests were carried out by U.S. Southern Command, or Southcom, which is part of the Department of Defense and is responsible for intelligence operations, security cooperation and disaster response in Central and South America. It’s a joint effort by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Army and other forces whose main task is finding and intercepting drug shipments that are destined for the U.S. According to the Guardian, as many as 25 unmanned solar powered balloons were launched from rural South Dakota and made their way 250 miles across the neighboring states in tests.
Related:
Stratollites can maintain position over specific areas of interest for days, weeks, and eventually months on end. This allows for more sustained measurements and monitoring capabilities over a targeted area. Stratollites can carry a wide variety of commercial payloads (sensors, telescopes, communications arrays, etc.), launch rapidly on demand, and safely return payloads back to earth after mission completion.
Some interesting ‘coincidences’:
Read More »US Marines Reactivate Base on Guam to Prepare for Future War With China
Marine Corps Reactivates Base On Guam
Guam’s history is marked by the enduring partnership between the U.S. military and the people of Guam. Since the establishment of Marine Barracks Guam in 1899, the Marine Corps has had a nearly continuous presence on Guam. The Marine Barracks was reactivated after World War II and deactivated November 10, 1992.
Related:
US Marines Open New Base on Guam to Prepare for Future War With China
According to Kyodo News, the new base in Guam will host 4,000 US Marines that will be transferred from Okinawa. The US and Japan agreed to reduce the military burden on Okinawa, which hosts over 70% of US bases in Japan, over local opposition to the US presence. But the plans to deploy the Marine Littoral Regiment further entrenches the military presence in the Okinawa prefecture.
There is also local opposition to the expansion of the US military presence in Guam, as Kyodo reported anti-base demonstrators protested against the opening of the new Marines Corps facility. An activist said that the military buildup will make Guam “a target for a war that we didn’t want to be part of.”
Marines officially activate Camp Blaz – Mixed feelings as late veteran honored during Asan ceremony
“They are appropriating our history and they are co-opting an identity of a CHamoru hero who, quite frankly, was very critical of the fact that we never saw true liberation here in Guam, although he was a former Marine,” Flores said. “He’s been quoted many times in saying we’re equal in only war and not in peace. They have manipulated his legacy to force a closeness and connection to this new Marine base that represents so much destruction and violence for our people. And worst off, this base makes us a bigger target for war.”
US may not maintain military support for Ukraine, Navy secretary says
The US may not be able to continue its ongoing support for Ukraine if weapons makers do not ramp up production, US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro told Fox News on Wednesday evening.
US may not maintain military support for Ukraine, Navy secretary says
Propaganda (too much to debunk):
War game suggests Chinese invasion of Taiwan would fail at a huge cost to US, Chinese and Taiwanese militaries
Chinese invasion of Taiwan in 2026 would result in thousands of casualties among Chinese, United States, Taiwanese and Japanese forces, and it would be unlikely to result in a victory for Beijing, according to a prominent independent Washington think tank, which conducted war game simulations of a possible conflict that is preoccupying military and political leaders in Asia and Washington.
War game suggests Chinese invasion of Taiwan would fail at a huge cost to US, Chinese and Taiwanese militaries
Notice how they blatantly ignore civilian casualties!?
USS Liberty Captain William McGonagle Interview
How Much it Actually Costs to Fly U.S. Military Aircraft
How Much it Actually Costs to Fly U.S. Military Aircraft
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter costs $41,986 an hour across all models, including the F-35A for the Air Force, the F-35B for the Marine Corps, and the F-35C for the Marine Corps and Navy. The Air Force in particular is stuck with the headache of replacing the F-16, which costs $26,927 an hour, with a plane that costs 25 percent more to operate, permanently raising costs. This is especially a problem as the F-35 was originally promised to cost the same to operate as the F-16. The Air Force must now either buy fewer F-35s or figure out how to foot a bigger annual bill.
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
You must be logged in to post a comment.