Communist China is provoking us. As with any bully, rolling over and taking it just invites more provocation.
Mr. President, pop this balloon.
Spycraft is common, and we have no doubt American satellites are pointed at Chinese weapon sites. But this surveillance balloon, clearly visible to the naked eye, is an escalation, a public dare that we will allow a violation of our airspace.
It’s a stark return to the 1960 face-off between the United States and Soviet Union, when U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot down and held captive by Nikita Khrushchev. It sent a clear message between the two superpowers: There are limits.
America needs to broadcast those limits now. We understand the military doesn’t want to put civilians at risk from falling debris, but there must be a way to limit exposure over the Midwest.
We destroy the device, and China apologizes for its wayward weather balloon (as it preposterously claims). The message to the Communist Party leaders is clear: America will defend itself. Always.