US Jet Shoots Down New 'Unidentified Object' Over Canada

Image copyright: Reuters [via Al Jazeera]

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Shooting down this unidentified object was the right decision — it violated US and Canadian airspace and posed a credible threat to civilian flights. As the nature and origin of the two latest objects to be shot down over North America remain unclear, it is crucial to recover them and determine whether they are related to the Chinese spy balloon.

Establishment-critical narrative

Unable to deal with political infighting, and seeking to enhance its credibility among allies, the US is desperately trying to look mighty by deploying its allegedly invincible F-22 to shoot down meteorological balloons that are harmless to US national security. If Washington wants to show its strength rather than humiliate itself, the capital should confront Russia on the battlefield instead of cry wolf about China.

Metaculus Prediction


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