The Chinese surveillance balloon that floated across the United States recently was not exactly the cutting edge of super-secret spy technology. For one thing, there it was in plain sight for days, visible to anyone along its path. Spy satellites and other methods accomplish much more—and are more difficult to spot.
What the balloon did masterfully, however, was stoke rage and finger-pointing on the ground. It’s actually a brilliant psychological warfare tactic: send a simple balloon across the United States and watch the superpower bicker and fight.
At least the F-22 got to log it’s first air-to-air “kill.”
Personally, I’m more accustomed to spying that comes from domestic snoops closer to home. I only wish the growing surveillance state—foreign and domestic—was as easy (and fun!) to spot as a big fat balloon, gently floating overhead.