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The Suffolk Journal

Your School. Your Paper. Since 1936.

The Suffolk Journal

Your School. Your Paper. Since 1936.

The Suffolk Journal

OPINION: Biden’s balloon response was a blunder

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Courtesy of Flickr
President Joe Biden

Recently, inflation has been quite the pebble in President Joe Biden’s shoe. That is, inflation of a Chinese spy balloon.

In the two years since Biden was sworn in as president of the United States, his disaster of a presidency has faced many issues. From the immigration crisis to weak foreign policy, Biden just can’t seem to catch a break. 

Over the course of the last few weeks, the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP, has become public enemy number one for their blatant disregard for U.S. sovereignty by flying a massive, 200-foot-tall spy balloon across the nation.

The balloon began its tour of the U.S. on Jan. 28 when it entered Alaskan airspace. Instead of shooting it down upon violating U.S. sovereignty, the government continued to allow the balloon to fly because the Aerospace Defense Command initially did not believe that it posed an intelligence risk or any threat.

Additionally, Politico reported the Pentagon believed that they could keep the balloon from collecting important information because they would be able to predict its exact path. The government allowed the balloon to continue along its flight path, which included flying near Malmstrom Air Force Base, which is home to one of three intercontinental ballistic missile silos in the U.S. 

Soon enough, the balloon found itself over the coast of South Carolina, where the U.S. military deemed it safe to shoot it down. 

Throughout the CCP balloon’s unwelcome visit to the U.S., the Biden administration received criticism from Americans of all political backgrounds. As a response, the Biden administration did what the Biden administration does best: They blamed former President Donald Trump. 

Biden administration officials pointed out that at least three CCP spy balloons flew over the U.S. during Trump’s time in the White House. Trump administration officials refuted these claims, with the former president himself dismissing the reports as nothing more than “fake disinformation.” 

If the Biden administration claims that these spy balloons were flown over the U.S. during the Trump administration, then there is absolutely no excuse for the balloon being allowed to fly over even one inch of U.S. airspace.

It is unacceptable that the Department of Defense has a whopping budget of $1.9 trillion, paid for by taxpayers, and did nothing to stop a balloon from flying over the entire country to allegedly gain intelligence on our military.

Biden does not care about U.S. sovereignty, and his inability to secure the southern border has shown our adversaries that anything goes. His weakness on the world stage and desire to prioritize the needs of other nations over those of the U.S. has turned our country into a laughing stock.

If the Chinese spy balloon were a Russian spy balloon entering Ukraine, Biden would have had it destroyed before Putin inflated it. 

If there is one lesson that must be learned from this, it is that the CCP is not our friend. Biden has been unwilling to address the CCP’s alleged cover-up of the COVID-19 pandemic, the unprecedented lockdowns that followed or their violations of the Geneva Convention by committing genocide against the Uyghur Muslims, and as a result, China does not fear the U.S.

The U.S. must become completely self-sufficient and end all involvement with China.

Follow Harry on Twitter!

@harrymurphy1776

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About the Contributor
Harry Murphy, Staff Writer | he/him
Harry is a junior broadcast journalism major from Walpole, Massachusetts. Harry is an Eagle Scout who enjoys being outdoors, and loves spending time with family and friends. In his free time, he enjoys running around the city, or watching any of Boston’s four major sports teams. After graduation, Harry hopes to work as a political correspondent.
Follow Harry on X @harrymurphy1776

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    David McIntireFeb 15, 2023 at 6:42 pm

    What information can a balloon gather that has not already been given to the CCP by China Joe?

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OPINION: Biden’s balloon response was a blunder