Peace Through Strength or Chaos Through Senility?

American Greatness ^ | 4 Feb 2023 | Roger Kimball

[Rummyfan]

The Chinese would not have been deploying spy balloons over U.S. nuclear installations if Donald Trump was still president.

Where’s Laocoön when you need him? News that the Chinese have a huge balloon loitering high above the middle of the country—just where, wouldn’t you know, we have a bunch of ICBM silos sited—reminded me about the reaction of the ill-fated Trojan prince when he saw the gigantic wooden horse sitting on the beach in front of Troy. At the beginning of book two of the Aeneid, our hero, with a heavy heart, accedes to Queen Dido’s request that he tell her the story of Troy’s downfall and his ill-starred voyage to her court. Infandum, Regina, iubes renovare dolorem: “O Queen, you bid me renew an unspeakable grief.”

But he does as she asks, beginning with the story of the Trojan horse. The Trojans were divided in their opinion about the monstrous equine. Some thought it was a Greek gift or trophy or memorial to commemorate their departure. Laocoön knew better.....

Then comes the famous line: timeo Danaos et dona ferentis: “I fear Greeks even when they are bearing gifts.”

Well, nobody thinks the Chinese are bearing gifts. But the response to that minatory skyborne bladder has ranged from Laocoön-like alarm to amused indifference. The Pentagon says it doesn’t think the blimp poses a threat, but then the Pentagon is home to General Mark “White Rage” Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd “Stand Down” Austin. Not much joy from that Keystone-Kop quarter.

[Rummyfan]

This Keystone Kop Administration - Biden, Harris, Buttigieg, Garland, Austin, Blinken all of them from top to bottom - are putting our nation in serious danger.

[Rummyfan]

...they have made their concerns known to the PRC, more or less, I assume, the way that Hans Blix made his concerns known to Kim Jong Il in “Team America.” In what is sure to have been a crushing blow to the Chinese, our version of Hans Blix, Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled his trip to China at the last minute. So there.

Any reference to Team America gets applause from me!

[Rummyfan]

As Julie Kelly remarked, “if the balloon was an unarmed female veteran, the government would have shot it by now.”

Sad but true.

[Rummyfan]

[AnthonySoprano]

[Rummyfan]

[Rummyfan]