Michael Ramirez for February 05, 2023

Alrighty then.

Got any other over-and-done-with topics to rake over the coals?

Wow really?

Cheapshot but nothing special from a republican, they dont know the meaning of honor or dignity

Where did you want it shot down? The package the balloon was carrying was the size of three city buses. Maybe you don’t care about your safety, but Austin did. Shooting it down over the ocean was the best option. Stop whining.

Could have shot it down over Guam, but then it’s sheer weight might have capsized the island. :)

Not sure why the Air Force waited so long to shoot the balloon down. Wouldn’t it make more sense to shoot a few 20mm cannon shells through the balloon over Montana allowing the gas to escape slowly? This would be a controled decent keeping the payload intact. Should the ballon pose a threat to a populated area,then shoot the balloon with a missile for a rapid decent when it’s closer to the ground.

Is this another toon only Ramirez understands?

Pay no attention to the loon behind the panel ….☹️

At the urging of military experts like Michael Ramirez and numerous Republicans, the US military shoots down the balloon over land. The debris falls over a 7 mile radius. A large piece strikes Michael Ramirez’s daughter and kills her.

Cartoon that.

Very impressive, Michael! Coming up with good ideas for a cartoon nearly everyday! You are good!

There are those who take seriously their oath to put service before self and protect their country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And then there is Lloyd James Austin III.

How disrespectful. Shame on all the armchair defense secretaries thinking they have this all figured out. I say we shoot down the next one over their houses and families.

According to the Daily Mail, a proper Navy salvage ship won’t be on station at the wreckage for DAYS! Most likely the crew was tied up in Woke training.

Easier to keep the souvenir hunters out under water than in some corn field.

They blocked the balloon from gathering information, shot it down where is was safe to do so, and recovered the hardware, thus turning the tables and gathering intelligence FROM it.

President Biden handled this PERFECTLY. Because he treats the Presidency like it’s a JOB. Not a SHOW.

The Republicans can’t stand it, because they want a stupid show.

It done its over, the only thing left is lying right wing complaints about EVERYTHING.

Were the photos any more detailed than what are available with google maps or with Chinese’s satellites that have been up there for decades?

For those who argue it’s too risky to shoot it down because of possible injury on the ground, I have a question. What’s the name of the city that stretches all the way from Montana to Missouri and points beyond?

The two sides can look at exactly the same situation and come to opposite conclusions. Maybe we need to know more before making a judgment?

So these spy balloons have crossed over the US before, without comment to the public. But the Chinese send one over just before a meeting of the heads of state. Anyone remember when the Russians shot down our U2? And how that scotched a meeting of Eisenhower and Khrushchev? So the Chinese screwed up, just as the US did in 1960. And we are making political hay out of it, to the discomfort of the Chinese, especially Emperor Xi. And not shooting it down keeps the US public outraged at the Chinese. Political theater.

As a Texan, I can say you picked the right spot, Mike!

Good news. George Santos shot down the Chinese balloon.

These are the people who want to be able to shoot a weapon at any time, not caring about collateral damage.

Biden ought to invite the pilot to the White House and award him a medal.

China Says U.S. ‘Overreacted’ in Shooting Down Spy Balloon

https://www.thedailybeast.com/china-says-us-overreacted-in-shooting-down-spy-balloon

And Radish parrots whatever China says.

Few of things in response to some of the comments. As I predicted, an F-22 was used in the shoot down as it has the ceiling for such an intercept. They used a missile WITHOUT a warhead to literally pop the balloon as it is much more precise than cannons. Our Intelligence agencies knew the minute it was launched and tracked it all the way from China to where it was ultimately intercepted. Where the debris landed the ocean floor is about 40-50 ft. deep so recovery will be a relatively easy task.

What I’m very interested in from a SIGINT perspective, is did it have a signal package onboard to transmit imagery and telemetry, possibly to satellites in orbit which would eventually be downloaded to China. Or, were they planning on downing the balloon somewhere to retrieve its info. Another possibility would be to eject the recording and storage device for a parachute recovery which is an old, simple and well used technique.

Thing is, if it did have a data transmitter, then the damage has already been done. Our Intel agencies know the answer to that, heck back in the day I have intercepted old Soviet Radiosonde signals. So why wasn’t it intercepted as soon as it entered our airspace over the Aleutians or at least the wide open spaces of Alaska if they wanted to be sure to examine the wreckage. Why weren’t the American people notified of the balloon when it entered our airspace? Hey, we get told when our Air Force intercepts and ‘escorts’ Russian spy bombers why not this balloon?

So the debris scattered over 7 miles, it is reported. That could represent a hazard even in Montana. And who knows where a missile would have hit the ground. Out over the ocean, not so much to worry about.

With an over the land attack, some fraction of the debris hitting the ground would bury itself, making recovery more difficult. When the debris hits water, the velocity drops very quickly, and in 50 feet of water, the speed of impact on the bottom would be pretty small, so not too likely that anything would be buried. And because there is some yield for water at the surface, the impulse on the debris is a bit smaller.

So weak. The DoD knew about this on Tuesday and prudently decided not to shoot it down until just after it went over the ocean. Then, they shot it down decisively so they could recover and examine it. All the time, however, they produced countermeasures to prevent it from gathering intelligence.

So, what’s your complaint again?