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CHRONIC. The episode of the spy balloon could pass for ridiculous if it were not taken up and exploited by the nationalists of the two camps.
By Gerard Araud
© KANAME MUTO / Yomiuri / The Yomiuri Shimbun via AFP
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Psometimes, events, in themselves derisory, deserve attention because they suddenly bring to light underlying trends in a society, which were just waiting for an opportunity to come to light. I wonder if the wanderings of the Chinese spy balloon over the United States are not one of them. Indeed, in the absolute of interstate rationality, that a balloon the size of three buses tumble into American airspace should have justified as a first reaction an approach to Beijing to ask for explanations and then a firm, but gentle management of the incident.
The reason is not only that the United States is in no position to complain about an espionage attempt, but that the intrusion is so obvious that it is still possible to…