Re my essay in Tuesday’s issue, “Is the China Spy Balloon a Hoax?”

From DD: 

“Hi, Mark,

“Always enjoy your eLetter.

“About the balloon…

“As you may well have heard, some people in positions to know believe it’s just China probing our technological, political, and military reactions to such an incursion.

“Now they know, among many other things, that it’s a great way to cause political dissension, and that the reaction will be pretty much like when the Three Stooges get ready to do something… fighting with and tripping over each other in the process.”

My Response: Thanks, DD! YES, I have heard that theory. In fact, that was the theory presented in the link that I mocked. As far as our political system having turned into a Three Stooges show, I don’t think China needed to send a balloon over to understand that!

From RS: 

“Though too early to draw conclusions about the spy balloon incursions, I found myself mystified by your remark about Gordon Chang’s response. I find nothing ‘ridiculous’ about his suggestion that it was a way to gauge the US’s air defenses/responses.

“You may have forgotten that the US received an intelligence bonanza in 1983 when KAL 007 inexplicably ventured deep into Soviet airspace. The incident ‘lit up’ the entire Soviet air defense network along their east coast, exposing the Soviets’ hand.

“His theory is underscored by recent military admissions that we have an obvious gap in our air defenses.”

My Response: The question that needs to be answered is what can China possibly learn from sending an easily detectable balloon into our air space that it doesn’t already know or couldn’t find out from a satellite?

Talk about conspiracy theories! The idea that this is an act of information gathering seems loony to me.

From LG, re my comments about Ron DeSantis: 

“I hope you were kidding about Ron DeSantis. Among other terrible things, he’s a blatant homophobe!”

My Response: I was half kidding. But only half. As to homophobia, here’s Dave Rubin, a well-known conservative commentator, answering that question from a personal perspective.