Headlines hype Balloon Affair as hundreds of thousands are discarded in Squalor, Homelessness

Americans against Americans

In the Homeland

By the Homeland

Neglect, Waste, Fraud, Abuse

February 10

“US shoots down ‘high-altitude object’: Debris falls into territorial waters off of Alaska (source: White House) https://www.rt.com/news/571308-us-flying-object-alaska/

February 12

“United States shoots down another ‘unidentified object’ … ‘out of an abundance of caution’: action authorized by President of the United States Joseph Biden and Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau https://www.rt.com/news/571343-canada-us-unidentified-object/

February 13

Balloon Downing Number Four in Eight Days—“US F-16 fighter jet shoots down “an airborne object” over Lake Huron in Michigan (Sunday February 12) (source: North American Aerospace Defense Command/NORAD). https://www.rt.com/news/571384-us-shoot-down-object/

Washington and others in various media persist in making public accusations against the People’s Republic of China and its leaders.

February 15

“Pentagon Practiced Shooting Down Spy Balloons two Years Ago in Alaska War-game,” David Hambling, Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2023/02/15/pentagon-practiced-shooting-down-spy-balloons-in-alaska-wargame-two-years-ago/?sh=396c86815e7e

February 16

United States President Joseph takes to the dais to comment on presumably his commanded shoot down of “UFOs,” and affirms “that the objects were not … (emphasis added) China’s or any other country’s “surveillance vehicles.”

“US intelligence agencies believe the objects were most likely balloons linked to private companies, recreation or research institutions” (source US President Biden). https://www.rt.com/news/571608-biden-ufo-shootdowns/

US Balloon Shooter: Background

Multi-billion $ Waste

US F-22 Raptor Jet’s shooting down balloon at cost of $206 million to $216 million per jet

F-22 AIM 9X Sidewinder missile Shoot-down of a “‘harmless’ high-altitude floating object” over Montana wasted some “$400,000”

The F-22 Raptor is manufactured by heavy lobbyists and super contributors to US political campaigns—Lockheed Martin, Boeing. Their products are used primarily by the United States Air Force.

The US affair with this militarist machine extends to the 1990s and during the US wars of aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq the Rumsfeld Department of Defense supported procurement of 183 operational aircraft projected in 2006 to cost $62 billion. A US Congressional spending bill in 2008 upped the total aircraft production orders to 187.

With delays and cost overruns (aka waste, fraud and abuse) the total F-22 program cost by 2011 was “estimated” at $67.3 billion ($360 million estimated for each operational aircraft delivered). Added to this estimate was Research, Development, Test and Evaluation cost at $32.4 billion; procurement and military construction at $34.9 billion; incremental cost at $138 million. (Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-22_Raptor) (“What is the US F-22 Raptor Jet?” February 7, 2023 https://sputniknews.com/20230207/price-of-shooting-down-chinese-balloon-what-is-the-us-f-22-raptor-jet-1107040441.html)

The recent shoot-down exercises (four reported) cost the people of the United States (conservatively estimated) “more than $2.1 million.”

Forbes writer David Hambling concludes

While US officials deny that the USAF flies spy balloons over China … there seems to be an admission of a US “espionage balloon program” in the form of a “tactical use” “military” program.

It seems clear that contrary to current hysterical reports the US shoot downs of aerial objects have been longer term and more calculated. It is “a good bet that ‘counter-stratospheric capability’— once a very niche interest—is now enjoying a lot more attention than previously.”  https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidhambling/2023/02/15/pentagon-practiced-shooting-down-spy-balloons-in-alaska-wargame-two-years-ago/?sh=396c86815e7e

 

America’s People Discarded

Homelessness in the United States of America exceeds half a million. As with unemployment and under employment figures, because of the nature and insufficient investigation and reporting and care— the homelessness figures are mere estimates. With the economic condition, the waste, fraud and neglect, the figures are inevitably rising.

Many homeless people in the United States suffered untreated “post-traumatic stress disorder, mental illness, domestic abuse, drug addiction, disability, and HIV/AIDS.”

Estimates reported:

• 580,466 in 2020: 65 percent sheltered; 35 percent unsheltered
• 326,126 people Languishing in transitional housing and homeless shelters

U.S. States with most Homelessness (estimated 2021 totals recorded)

California 161,548	New York 91,271	Florida 27,487	Texas 27,229
Washington 22,923	Massachusetts 17,975	Oregon 14,655	Pennsylvania 13,375
Arizona 10,979	Ohio 10,655

U.S. Cities with most Homeless people (estimated 2020 totals recorded)

New York City 77,943	Los Angeles City and County 63,706	Seattle/King County 11,751	San Jose/Santa Clara City and County 9, 605
Oakland, Berkeley/Alameda County 8,137	San Francisco 8,124	San Diego City and County 7,638	Phoenix, Mesa/Maricopa County 7,419
Santa Ana, Anaheim/Orange County 6,978	District of Columbia 6,380

 2011-2021 USA 

Estimated totals of homeless individuals

2011: 623,788

2012: 621,553

2013: 590,364

2014: 576,450

2015: 564,708

 

2016: 549,928

2017: 553,742

2018: 552,830

2019: 567,715

2020: 580,466

2021: 326,126

The count or check on homelessness was significantly affected by the heightened period of the 2019 pandemic; and the pattern continued in the years closely following.

The EarthWeb article on Homelessness in the United States concludes that the rise in homelessness has been increasing continuously since 2016.

Most of the homeless are unaccompanied people: estimated at 66.7 percent.
Homeless families are estimated at 33.3 percent.

https://earthweb.com/how-many-homeless-in-america/#:~:text=How%20Many%20Homeless%20in%20America%20in%202023%20How,are%20living%20in%20transitional%20housing%20and%20homeless%20shelters. The source “EarthWeb” defines itself as “a resource discovery platform” whose mission involves tracking social and technological trends and offering “in-depth content” for making “informed decisions.” https://earthweb.com/about/

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Copyright © Carolyn LaDelle Bennett

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