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November 10, 2010
Known unknowns
A mysterious contrail 35 miles out to sea from Los Angeles serves to underline the key problem with most conspiracy theories: These tend to assume an unreasonable belief in the competence of the supposed conspirators. It is almost ten years after 9/11 and people who regularly deal with the post office and stand in line to get their driver's licenses renewed still imagine it is impossible the United States government did not have a clue what was going on until hours, days and weeks after the fact.
Reaction to the mystery "missile" suggests yet another time when my low expectations leave me better prepared to deal with the world than would an undue optimism. I have no trouble believing NORAD is clueless and their messaging cluelesser. Indeed, such is my expectation.
An anonymous comment at DefenseTech shares my thinking.
“When someone makes an unannounced launch what looks to be a ballistic missile 35 miles from the nations second largest city (at sea in international waters), and 18 hours later NORAD still doesn’t have any answers at all – that complete lack of information represents a credible threat to national security,” he writes. “If NORAD can’t answer the first and last question, then I believe it is time to question every single penny of ballistic missile defense funding in the defense budget. NORTHCOM needs to start talking about what they do know, rather than leaving the focus on what they don’t know.
Yes, the mystery may represent a problem especially if this is, say, the PLAN or the Russian navy making a point. But assuming this is a regular contrail seen from an unusual angle (and such is my assumption), the fact the mystery remains a mystery is most probably the bigger problem.
A Clinton administration would have had its story in place yesterday morning. The current administration cannot recognize the mystery is a problem in itself.
Or: I should have mentioned another comment at DefenseTech claims there was a NOTAM (Notice To Airmen) about this issue in which case NORAD's hemming and hawing is still less explicable.
NOTAM for LA.
KZLA LOS ANGELES A2832/10 - THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS ARE REQUIRED DUE TO NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION ACTIVATION OF W537. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, ALL NON-PARTICIPATING PILOTS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID W537. IFR TRAFFIC UNDER ATC JURISDICTION SHOULD ANTICIPATE CLEARANCE AROUND W537 AND CAE 1176. CAE 1155 WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR OCEANIC TRANSITION. CAE 1316 & CAE 1318 WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR OCEANIC TRANSITION. CAE 1177 WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR OCEANIC TRANSITION. W537 ACTIVE, CAE 1176 CLOSED. SURFACE - FL390, 09 NOV 20:00 2010 UNTIL 10 NOV 01:00 2010. CREATED: 08 NOV 20:52 2010
Posted by Ghost of a flea at November 10, 2010 07:03 AM
Comments
You are right, the silence is an issue. It can signal things to people that should not be signaled.
You can use it, as well, as a Rorschach blot. See what burbles up out of peoples unconscious minds.
Foreign powers? Rogue military? White right wing extremists?
Posted by: Sargon the Magnificent ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.ghostofaflea.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at November 10, 2010 03:39 PM
The Patriarchy.
Posted by: Ghost of a flea at November 10, 2010 06:26 PM