Victor Davis Hanson
American Greatness
New Jersey is now subject to nonstop and often sensational civilian reports of swarms of nocturnal drones crossing city skies and violating the airspace of airports and military bases.
Terrified thousands demand to know what these drones are doing and to whom they belong.
In response, the Biden administration had initially kept mum.
Then, under mounting public pressure, it assured the public to be calm, given that most of the drones were likely launched by hobbyists and private citizens.
When that narrative failed to convince many, spokespeople pivoted to claims of mass hysteria and mistaken identity.
Amateur sightseers, they inferred, were subject to panic and hallucinations—supposedly wrongly confusing normal civilian and airline planes with drones.
Perhaps.
But as the sightings continued, more government narratives followed that the drones were unidentified but assuredly still harmless and certainly not foreign-operated.
Still, the mysterious sightings continued.
And the public’s initial curiosity soon turned to fear and finally to anger at their government’s silence, subsequent gaslighting, and final mendacity.
In its characteristic stonewalling, the Biden administration has only fueled speculations and occasional conspiracy theories when it could have at least reviewed logical theories and welcomed legitimate questions.
Is a controversial government agency—perhaps the CIA or the EPA—surveilling installations, areas, or people that would either be too embarrassing to be revealed or otherwise might set off panic? And for the public good or consistent with this administration’s weaponization of government?
Or are these drones the work of foreign surveillance in the mode of the 2023 Chinese spy balloon?
A government that long ago lost all its credibility could not reassure the people of the truth even if it wished to.
For nearly four years, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas assured the American people almost weekly that “the border is secure”—even as a reported 12 million illegal entrants easily crossed it.
White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre asserted weekly that President Joe Biden was vigorous, in full control of his faculties, and always “sharp.”
In fact, she knew that the American people grimaced as their president slurred his speech, suddenly went mute, tripped, fell, and wandered aimlessly.
In late January and early February 2023, a huge Chinese surveillance balloon traversed across the United States. Public outrage grew as the administration changed its excuses by the day.
It variously assured the public that it was a mere weather balloon, that it would be too dangerous to shoot it down, that it did not transmit any of its photographic capability to China, or that its trajectory did not cross key military installations.
All those excuses were either half-lies or untrue.
In late July and early August 2021, it became clear that the Biden administration planned a massive, previously unannounced, and abrupt withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Rumors circulated that Joe Biden rushed to claim that he alone had ended the messy Afghan war misadventure after 20 years and would celebrate his triumph on the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
To assuage public fears, our top generals assured us that the Taliban was at bay, Kabul was secured, and the withdrawal would be orderly.
But within hours, sheer bedlam broke out.
Thirteen Marines were murdered by terrorists.
There were no audits or background checks on Afghans who were flown to America. Meanwhile, loyal Afghan interpreters and American contractors were ignored and left behind to fend off triumphant terrorists on their own.
Even as Americans watched the disaster on their screens, the Biden administration boasted of a supposedly heroic and Herculean effort to evacuate tens of thousands—in what the public saw instead as the greatest American military humiliation of the last half-century.
So, the American public understandably no longer believes much of anything the waning Biden administration says—not after its other chronic lies about denying the role of the Wuhan lab in the COVID-19 pandemic, only “moderate” inflation, and assurances that Hunter Biden would never be pardoned by his father.
This administration knows that anytime there is a scandal or embarrassment on team Biden’s watch, it wheels out megaphones that ignore inquiries, gaslight critics by claiming they are hallucinatory, defame them as conspiratorial, or simply flat-out lie and stonewall.
No one yet knows what, if anything, these drones are, what they are doing in our skies—and much less whether they pose any threat at all.
But almost everyone assumes the Biden administration knows and yet expects that it will likely deceive us that it doesn’t.
Thanks Victor! It is important for American citizens to understand the scope, depth and the harm caused by the biden regime and its agencies. You and a handful of others have realized the need to keep the subversive actions of these backstabbers and betrayers continually in the minds of loyal Americans. Wothout tje knowledge
Correction: without that knowledge we would be controlled by the senseless legacy media!
Thank You VDH.
Perhaps there is a behavioral lesson here, that when the civilians are fearful, they turn to the GOVERNMENT to save them, even if it is the government that is causing the fear. So, when will they learn?
If you’re interested about the drones, and Trump has already advised that the government knows exactly what they are (and he has been advised as well), you may find this interesting: https://www.wric.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/637355936/nartp-signs-cooperative-research-and-development-agreement-with-ustranscom-usaf-air-mobility-command-and-acea/
Still no answer what the mass drones are and who is responsible?
Foolish eyes are never satisfied. Thus, why bother?
Thanks for the excellent (as always) analysis. . .
All “smoke and mirrors”, another diversion. IMPEACH.
Agree
Apparently the Biden regime became so used to the media covering for the entire administration they believed they could continue gaslighting the media. Once again, as Robert Gates has informed us regarding foreign policies, Biden has been wrong on that and just about every issue. Or as Barack Obama said, “leave it to Joe to F… it up”.
What is truly amazing is that so many voters, nearly 70 million, still fall in line with the democrat party after 12 years of divisive party politics. Hating Trump is not enough justification to destroy this nation.
This is definitely something that should be investigating a bit more seriously.
Ukrainian’s have become very adapt at destroying everything from individual soldiers to multi-million dollar Russian battle weapons including tanks and even ships with small, relativity inexpensive drones.
So there’s that!
Shoot a few of them down. Problem solved.
I love listening to your podcasts, admire you, Sami Winc and Jack Fowler tremendously.
Do wish you’d investigate Adam’s indictment fully. He was NOT targeted re: his illegals views. He’s been a staunch sanctuary city advocate since day 1. He merely wanted more fed money. His indictments have nothing to do with it.
He and his administration are filled with corruption–check out how many have resigned, have been raided by FBI, and read THE ACTUAL INDICTMENT. And the nuber of sexual assault and harrassment suits filed.
It’s frustrating you have Eric Adam’s saga completely wrong.
Huge relief to realize we’re finally seeing light at the end of this very dark, dismal, depressing tunnel we’ve endured for the last 4 years . . .
That may or may not be true, Charles. But what would be the motive?
I would not be surprised if the US government is implicated in helping Ukrainians improve/perfect what they already have? . . . a coded message to the Russians of what Ukrainians are capable of? Might it not then explain the secrecy?
Although this is just the latest example of the deep state misinformation/disinformation/outright lies that pass for news over many decades, they have become adept at spewing smoke instead of shedding light. Thank you, VDH, for becoming a brilliant shining light of reason illuminating our struggle as free citizens to live up to and pass down to our children the greatest republic conceived of by the human race in our history. I pray every day that Almighty God not only continues to show us his mercy and grace, but also grant us the wisdom and strength to defeat the enemy of freedom without bloodshed and destruction.
There was a strange science fiction movie from 1984 called “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension” in which aliens had been living in New Jersey since Orson Well’s War of the World… But now there are strange Drones in New Jersey which, according to Washington DC, aren’t a threat… Which goes to prove that Truth is Stranger than Fiction, especially in Washington DC…..
The Biden Administration, particularly Mr Biden, has neither integrity nor credibility. Nothing they say or profess is credible. We are left with a dysfunctional government that has no reason to exist nor determine how to run our government and spend our tax money. It is time to remove the existing bureaucracy/ administrative largesse and replace it with a functional operation that produces the optimum results for the citizens of the USA
What is interesting is that the Administration is doing everything they can to shovel out money we don’t have, sell off the border wall parts and otherwise put forth that abortion of a CR in front of God and everyone, secure in the belief they can get away with it or place the blame on DJT. I have a dear friend who, unfortunately, buys into their lies and obfuscations. She is kind-hearted, educated (well, she has a B.A. and Masters), honest and honestly deceived. I would hate to give her and her cohorts the Clockwork Orange treatment to disabuse her of these erroneous beliefs, but how else to rid this country of those beliefs?
I wish in all these articles that mention our fallen 13 service members would also mention the other innocents slain in the Biden-Harris debacles: the 169 Afghanis also killed in the bombing, and the failed retaliatory U.S. drone strike that killed 10 Afghanis of which 7 were children. God bless all these victims.
If you had seen the size of these drones, you would understand why they caused panic and were not just hallucinations.
Foolish eyes are never satisfied. Thus, why bother?
These drones/UAP mass sightings were predicted by Clif High over a decade ago utilizing his “web bot” servers. It’s a prelude to God knows what. Lucky we’re within sight of an actual Federal government (Trump/Vance and company).
Merry Christmas VDH. You do so much for we the people.
Truth is not a value to the Left.
Shootguns with #8 shot will bring them down and do little to no damage when that fine of shot falls back to earth. A hail storm would cause more damage than #8 falling from the sky. Get a few of those drones on the ground and get them, their technology, and their owners identified but pronto.
“ We can’t identify them, but we are sure they are harmless”
Is stonewalling that fuels speculations and conspiracy theories part of their plan to trap us and label us as nut-jobs?
Thank you Professor Hanson.