Try as we might, fellow Americans, we cannot shoot all of our problems — nor our perceived problems — out of the sky.
With much of the country in the throes of mass hysteria over a suspected Chinese spy balloon and other objects flying over U.S. airspace, the “shoot ’em up” strategy may seem fitting for a nation as gun-obsessed as ours. But now is not the time to lean into parody. Now is the time for Americans to get serious about surveillance, both foreign and domestic.
Ben Rhodes, who was White House deputy national security adviser in the Obama administration, was spot-on during his appearance Monday on “The ReidOut,” where he assessed some of the reaction to the aerial objects reports. The Biden administration appears to have acquiesced to demands, led by many conservative lawmakers and media figures, to shoot down the objects. But Rhodes noted that this plan isn’t an effective strategy.
If Americans are truly concerned about invasions of their privacy, there are all sorts of U.S. institutions invested in probing their private and personal affairs.
There are “thousands” of balloons, drones and other devices used by individuals, businesses and other entities, Rhodes said, adding that the administration should outline its criteria for what warrants shooting any of them down.
Since the Chinese balloon was shot down this month, three more aerial objects have been shot down by the U.S., according to officials. The military has not yet identified the source of those objects, White House officials said Monday.
Conservative lawmakers have used the Chinese balloon story to fearmonger about China, which Rhodes seemed to acknowledge on Monday.
“I just don’t think, in talking to people in the administration and looking at what they’re putting out that there’s any way that these three things would have been shot down had there not been the original Chinese spy balloon,” Rhodes said.
He continued:
I think John Kirby’s explanation makes common sense,…
Read the full article here
