Back in the mid 1980’s, a German group, called NENA, had a hit song called “99 Red Balloons”. They had both a German version and an English version of the song. In the German version, the lyrics rell a story of 99 balloons mistaken for UFO’s. Fighter pilots are sent up and even after discovering that they are just balloons, they shoot them down anyway. Border nations are concerned with this display of power. War ministers of the nations encourage conflict and an all-out war results, resulting in devastation on all sides, over 99 balloons.
There was an uproar about two weeks ago about a Chinese balloon that floated over Canada and the US, before being shot down, off the South Carolina coast. Politicians on all sides were trying to make hay on this. It came out that three similar incidents had occurred under the Trump administration but was kept quiet. The balloons were not shot down. Many thought that this would be a one-shot story and soon blow over (puns intended)
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) adjusted their systems such that they would be able to identify lower altitude objects such as the Chinese balloon. Then, a second balloon was discovered, flying over South America. Then in three successive days balloons were shot down over Alaska, the Yukon and Lake Huron.
Politicians of all stripes are demanding answers. the problem is, there is not many answers to give yet. The debris from all three of the latest balloons have not been collected yet. Meanwhile, the twitterverse is having a field day with this. There is a picture going around of Robin Williams, as Mork, from the 1970’s Mork and Mindy show coming out of his balloon space vehicle. During Canada’s defence Minister’s briefing, on Saturday, a reporter actually asked if the balloon shot down over the Yukon was not of this world. China is now claiming that US balloons are flying over China.
Everyone needs to take a step back. Other than the initial Chinese balloon, no one yet knows what the purpose of these balloons were and where they were from. Tensions are high over these incidents. Key figures need to take the German lyrics of the above identified song to heart. So, until answers are found, chill out.