Dirty Rubles and Red Scares

If you want a deep read, interesting article on Russian money buying political influence in Europe. Wonder what they are paying Tucker Carlson?

*

From TPM:

We officially have an absurd debate over Chinese surveillance balloon toughness. Yes, this is now a thing. A slew of Republicans today lashed out at President Biden for not shooting down the balloon just as the Pentagon carried out his orders to do so. The balloon was shot down by an F-22 firing a sidewinder missile just off the coast of South Carolina.

This was followed by new claims that President Trump never would have allowed a Chinese balloon into US airspace at all. Rep. Joe Wilson, a notorious goober who represents a district in South Carolina declared: “The catastrophic Chinese Spy Balloon spectacle clearly threatened American families from Alaska to my home community in South Carolina and confirms President Biden and Vice President Harris should resign.”

But according to a Pentagon press release out this afternoon, Chinese surveillance balloons entered US airspace at least three times during Trump’s presidency. He not only didn’t shoot them down he also, it would seem, kept it a secret.

*

From the press release:

Long before the shoot down, U.S. officials took steps to protect against the balloon's collection of sensitive information, mitigating its intelligence value to the Chinese. The senior defense official said the recovery of the balloon will enable U.S. analysts to examine sensitive Chinese equipment. "I would also note that while we took all necessary steps to protect against the PRC surveillance balloon's collection of sensitive information, the surveillance balloon's overflight of U.S. territory was of intelligence value to us," the official said. "I can't go into more detail, but we were able to study and scrutinize the balloon and its equipment, which has been valuable."  

*

I have long wished that NATO could trade back Turkey for Finland and Sweden. The Turks and Erdogan are a very bad fit and not helping the current situation in Europe and the Baltic. Good article at the Guardian: Turkey's two faced sultan is no friend of the west. Strategic expedience notwithstanding, very shortsighted to allow them in in the first place.

*

*

White nationalists plans to take over Idaho.

*

P-22 memorial.