No, it's expert testimony. I can't believe I have to explain that on HN...
I mean sure -- he's a great guy, and has served his country and all. But still.
This guy has worked exactly where it is necessary in order to get hold of the claimed information, in a faculty with the necessary clearances.
Again, you are putting the cart before the horse by demanding "evidence" of some mystical quality, while entirely ignoring the information that is actually presented.
In a world of agencies famously riddled with incompetence, whose people have not only have been shown to be liars, time and time again -- but guess what: Their very purpose is to lie.
That's why we need something more to seek our teeth into than some whistleblower who says he's seen reports about such and such.
There is geopolitical advantage to making the world think you have advanced weapons tech, or that it exists and has to be found somewhere.
Here, the guy has supporting testimony from a whole array of decorated people in important positions. The context checks out. To assume he was "lying" is what is preposterous.
You frame the events as if some noname-guy came up in a vacuum claiming incredible stuff. That is not at all what is happening. You not knowing about all that and not even recognizing that this circumstance is affecting your judgement is remarkable.
I mean, I hope it’s true. Aliens would be cool. But we’ve been here before.
That he isn't no-name makes the lie more plausible of course. We're talking hypothetical and possibilities here, that you're completely rejecting the possibility of a government lie is pretty silly.
>supporting testimony from a whole array of decorated people in important positions
C'mon man lol.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_and_weapons_of_mass_destr...
If you assume, this guy was lying on behalf of the government you might want to try to rationalize that, because it doesn't make any sense whatsoever.
That idea about the US wanting to impress other nations with bogus UFO tech is ridiculously stupid. You completely underestimate other countries for instance.
I think "lying on behalf of the government" happens like...constantly. (See: war in ukraine) I don't really think this guy is lying, but ruling it out is...well, "ridiculously stupid."
It doesn't have to be rationalized. There's a littany of reasons we could invent that could justify lying about UFOs. This government has many foolish people in positions of power. Those people in, in theory, can do foolish things that don't make any sense whatsoever.
And the claim we're up against is literally aliens. You gotta bring receipts on that, and war medals aren't enough.
I'm highly interested to see this develop, and I haven't chosen sides yet. I would fucking LOVE to see what the world does if they get smacked in the face with proof of aliens. I am giddy with excitement.
But I'm not taking this guy's word for it, yet.
Why are you, then, hallucinating that he's some kind of "witness"?