Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs for their last minute 38-35 win over the Eagles with a field goal. But for once, the football wasn’t the inflated flying object that most Americans were talking about this weekend.

As of this writing, we’re up to four flying objects that have been shot down in the past week. First was the Chinese spy balloon that was allowed to drift eastward over at least three of our sensitive nuclear installations before being shot down over the Atlantic. Then two smaller objects believed to be balloons and carrying payloads were shot down over Alaska and Canada.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-offers-first-description-unknown-object-shot-down-canada

Then a fourth unidentified object was shot down over Lake Huron in northern Michigan.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/lawmakers-demand-accountability-biden-admin-4th-flying-object-shot-down-military

The White House is not being forthcoming about what the objects are, which has sparked demands for more transparency and fewer mixed signals (are they or aren’t they balloons?) from Congress members of both parties. It’s also fueling wild Internet rumors, not helped by a briefing on the Lake Huron downing given by Air Force General Glen VanHerck. He said the Pentagon doesn’t know what keeps these objects aloft or what their propulsion system is, and “we’re calling them objects, not balloons, for a reason.” When asked, “Have you ruled out aliens or extraterrestrials?” VanHerck replied, “I haven’t ruled out anything at this point.”

You might think that comment from a Pentagon spokesman would set off an uproar among UFO buffs, and you’re right. But it was interesting to see the even bigger reaction in the opposite direction. Instead of running with the “Aliens are here!” narrative, many conspiracy sites instead went with the theory that the government is trying to gaslight people into thinking aliens are invading so they can continue the panic and control they gained during the COVID pandemic.

I think this illustrates just how much of its credibility with the public the government has blown. For years, rumors circulated that they were lying to cover up proof of aliens. Now, they say they won’t rule out aliens, and people suspect they’re creating fake aliens to scare everyone into going along with more government power. I guess the good news is that they’ve increased public skepticism enough that it’s now easier to believe the government is lying to us than to believe in little green men. That could be a good thing, and for some people, a big step forward.

For those less inclined to believe in the “War of the Worlds” scenario, it’s been reported that the first Chinese balloon was a spy balloon, not a weather balloon. The government assures us that they jammed its signal to keep it from sending back information about our nuclear and military sites to the Chinese, but how they knew to do that before they shot it down and found out what it was is anybody’s guess. They did reportedly find that it contained tech parts from six US-based companies and that had English writing on them, so I guess they were not made on Mars, unless American companies are outsourcing manufacturing even further than I thought.

https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2023/02/12/some-chinese-spy-balloon-parts-were-made-in-the-usa-six-companies-placed-on-trade-blacklist-n702738

Those companies have been placed on a Commerce Department blacklist called the Entity List that regulates the export of products that have both civilian and military functions. It’s hard to believe that all-American companies operating on American soil, such as Beijing Nanjiang Aerospace Technology Co. or Dongguan Lingkong Remote Sensing Technology Company, would be doing business with China’s government. It must be due to some sort of oversight. Or a total lack of oversight.

https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2023/02/12/some-chinese-spy-balloon-parts-were-made-in-the-usa-six-companies-placed-on-trade-blacklist-n702738

This is a developing story. I will let you know if aliens get mad at us for shooting down their craft and turn off our power to teach us a lesson, as in "The Day The Earth Stood Still." Although in California, I doubt people would notice.

Reassuring Update! The Biden Administration is reportedly privately assuring top Democrats that the flying objects he’s shooting down are not extraterrestrial.

https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2023/02/12/how-bad-is-it-biden-team-issuing-private-assurances-its-not-aliens-n702781

It is reassuring to know that we’re not being invaded by Martians, just communist China, probably. However, it’s not particularly reassuring to learn that the White House spokesman doesn’t seem to know what NORAD is and thinks our neighbor to the north is called “Canadia.”