If you believe Grusch, then yes, because governments around the world are racing to recover UAPs.

I don’t really believe it but it would be in line with the story.

It was definitely an out of control scientific balloon. Doesn’t mean the US didn’t also shoot it down to stoke the new Cold War.

The question is the source. Anyone could have put that in the air.

The Chinese government said it is Chinese. Considering the country is encircled by US bases, what incentive would they have to help the US government?

When we spend excessively on DoD, that doesn't "help the US gov", unless slitting our own throats is help.

It helps the ruling class of the US, the bourgeoisie.

It doesn't help the government or people of China, though. So they have no reason to help.

You can split hairs all you want about the ruling class and the gov but the latter is the sock puppet of the former. That is, they are effectively one in the same. When that duo screws the proles - and it does, often - that IS good for China. aka Communist China.

Balloon = "new red scare" = "we need more DoD budget" = "we don't have money for X, Y, and Z" = "let them eat balloons"

It's a tired and known pattern. But proles being proles don't get it. FFS, most on HN don't get it.

I'm a communist, I don't need convincing.

The bourgeoisie in the US is the ruling class because they have state power. They use that power to exploit the proletariat of the US, but also to super-exploit the proletariat of the rest of the world.

In China, it's a bit different. The proletariat has won state power and is using it to constrain their national bourgeoisie. Part of why their bourgeoisie is tolerated for now is precisely because of western (US-led) imperialism, so China is allowed to trade with the rest of the (capitalist) world and so they don't get nuked by the US.

US war mongering hurts the proletariat of the US, but is far more dangerous for us proletarians of the rest of the world, including in China.

I hope I live to see the day when the people of China rise up and summarily execute every single member of the Communist party down to the lowest village functionary. That would be the best thing they could possibly do to ensure a positive future for their country, and the rest of the world.

Just under 10% of Chinese people are party members, you’re advocating genocide.

Thankfully, the people of China overwhelmingly support the party, so it won’t happen.

I'm reminded of something my civics teacher mentioned in class about the difference between parties in communist countries and the US. The number of party members in the US is a rounding error. Almost no one is an actual member of the Democratic or Republican Parties.