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Comment by auctoritas | Hacker News Reader

The government and military must be more forthcoming with information here. This is generally the case but especially so now. If these are balloons with unclear origin and purpose, be open and honest about that. Don't just let information trickle out from random sources. Establish a single and authoritative line of communication. Failing to get ahead of the narrative gives the appearance of uncertainty and confusion.

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Is that not what is happening? They may just have less information because it is night and harder to get a direct visual on the object. The whitehouse briefing suggests more but I don't think it is wrong for them to take some time to answer to the public. I'd rather a slower and thought out response than a quick one with misleading information. You can see in the public responses that people respond with stupid statements either way. Compare this thread to the one earlier today about Canada, the one yesterday, the big balloon, or even the UFO thread. Conspiracies and armchair experts abound just creating noise. The reuters article, your comment, and the tweet in the parent all seem within a few hours of the actual event. Let's take a breath before we grab pitchforks. If they don't answer in a day or two then I'll be happy to grab my pitchfork too, but some pause is good.

Edit: another user posted a twitter link to someone claiming they saw the object. This does not look like a balloon and I completely can understand why there is a slower response here (I have no reason to distrust this twitter user) https://twitter.com/0rangeandwhite/status/162460072656239001...

I have no reason to distrust this twitter user

Why would you automatically trust a random twitter user? Or was that a joke that flew over my head?

Twitter video looks like a starlink train

This is exactly what they have said about e.g. the Alaska object. “Here is the approximate size. It didn’t appear maneuverable. We do not know what it was, who it came from, or what it was doing.” I agree that being open about what we don’t know is a good thing and builds trust.

> The government and military must be more forthcoming with information here.

No, we do not need need social media arm chair quarterbacks dealing with national defense based issues....

> Establish a single and authoritative line of communication.

None of this affect most citizens they have no need to be informed unless necessary.

> Failing to get ahead of the narrative gives the appearance of uncertainty and confusion.

Politics in war time is always messy. Lets let them focus on the task at hand.

> Politics in war time is always messy. Lets let them focus on the task at hand.

Or: without "messy" politics (political censorship and manipulation of the people) you can't have wars.

In an ideal world absolutely. But war and violence is foundational bedrock of humanity, it will never go away.

In that case, maybe humans should go away then

> None of this affect most citizens they have no need to be informed unless necessary.

It's always necessary to keep citizens informed. The government and by extension the military exists to serve citizens.

I just got off a weekend Nightshift and am back on in 12 hours I hope to spend sleeping.

Is this aliens? I don't have time to deep dive this myself.

Of all the ways aliens might contact us, I dont think it will be launching balloons from earth.

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