The US has been provoking China in the Pacific with far scarier things than balloons

Reading beyond the headlines is essential for debunking pro-war propaganda

Over the summer of 2016, a study was released by computer scientists at Columbia University and the French National Institute which found 59 percent of links shared on social media have never actually been clicked. In other words, most people are sharing articles only after reading the headline.

The latest example demonstrating why such a study is so concerning comes from a CNN article, published in early February 2023, which reads: "Pentagon tracking suspected Chinese spy balloon over the US".

If 59% of readers are only seeing the headline without reading the story, they're going to miss some important details, such as Pentagon spokesman General Patrick Ryder saying the US government has been tracking the balloon for several days, adding that it "does not present a military or physical threat" to people on the ground.

If 59% of readers are only seeing the headline without reading the story, they'll miss the part in the story where a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson says the balloon entered US airspace accidentally, and that it is a "civilian airship” used for research.

If 59% of readers are only seeing the headline without reading the story, they'll also miss the part where a senior defense official tells CNN that the balloon "does not create significant value" compared to what China can already find in the US from low Earth orbit satellites.

And yet, as Rahm Emanuel once said: "…Never let a serious crisis go to waste.”

US Sec of State Antony Blinken called off plans to visit Beijing, and White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was briefed on the balloon and there was "consensus” that it was not appropriate to travel to China at this time.

On February 4th, the balloon was downed off the eastern US coast.

Democrats rejoiced, defending Biden as "tough" and taking care of the Chinese menace, whereas Republicans continued to criticize him, claiming the president is "bought" by China and that he allowed it to “complete its mission” before shooting it down. Once again, the supposed differences between both parties when it comes to foreign policy are yet again brightly illuminated, easily showcasing how perpetually thirsty the two camps are for more war.

But let’s play devil’s advocate and assume that China is lying and the balloon is a brazen attempt at openly spying on the United States in broad daylight. If true, it still pales in comparison to the numerous provocations levied by the US against China over the last year alone.

For example, in late January 2023, Four-Star US General Mike Minihan warned troops that his gut says "we will fight" China in 2025. Meanwhile, US troops are expected to gain access to four new facilities in the Philippines, along with a new US base in Guam, which is 4,000 acres and can host 5,000 marines. How would the US feel if China was occupying military bases in the small islands around US territory?

In mid January, it was reported that the US National Guard was operating a program to train the Taiwanese military. (In September, Biden was asked by 60 Minutes if the US would fight in defense of Taiwan if China invaded. Biden replied: "Yes.")

Back in November 2022, the US and Japan held a "major joint military exercise" in southern Japan, with 26,000 Japanese troops and 10,000 American troops. How would the US feel if China was holding drills with Russia right off US waters?

And earlier in the year, former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took a trip to Taiwan and declared US solidarity with Taiwan "crucial" due to a "struggle between autocracy and democracy" in the world. (Such language might sound familiar: Robert Kagan, a life-long war hawk and the face behind numerous neoconservative think tanks, argued that the 21st century will be dominated by an apocalyptic struggle between the forces of democracy, led by the US, and the forces of autocracy, led by China and Russia.)

But if we look beyond just the last year, there are also numerous examples of the US tossing provocations into Chinese territory with far more than just balloons.

For instance, in December 2022, CNN reported that a Chinese fighter jet intercepted a US reconnaissance aircraft over the South China sea and performed an "unsafe" maneuver, forcing the US aircraft to take evasive action.

In August 2020, China accused the US of sending a U-2 reconnaissance plane into a no-fly zone over live Chinese military drills, ratcheting up tensions.

And in July 2017, two Chinese fighter jets intercepted a US surveillance plane over the East China Sea, with one jet coming within about 300 feet of the American aircraft.

If we assume that the “suspected” Chinese spy balloon is, in fact, an actual reconnaissance aircraft, what room does the US have to criticize China’s actions considering their own repeated and inarguably more provocative maneuvers inside and around Chinese territory?

And of course if it ever comes out that the balloon was actually what China said — a benign vessel that accidentally found its way into US territory — don’t expect endless streams of coverage about how China was telling the truth and how the balloon was actually nothing to worry about. As history shows, US propaganda spreads farther than any corrections that may follow.