My advice in general is to avoid getting caught up in the prevailing winds. By that I mean that we should all exercise a little prudent caution, and we should all avoid being the embodiment of Chicken Little every time a strange object passes over head or falls from the sky.

A Chinese weather balloon and/or spy balloon passed over the United States this week. It caused quite a stir even though it wasn’t the first.

Kudos to the American government and the American military for patiently waiting until the balloon safely cleared land before shooting it down. It was shot down as soon as it drifted over the Atlantic, and the debris came down in only 47 feet of water. Navy ships were in the area, and you can be assured that the remains have been harvested for further investigation.

What is the danger to America of a balloon with photographic capabilities passing over head? In light of the fact that spy satellites have been snapping pictures for many years, I am going to say the immediate danger is nill, nada, and nothing.

The whole incident is reminiscent of one that took place in World War ll. Back then, the Japanese attached incendiary bombs to balloons and sent them to drift over America in the Jet Stream. They did almost no damage, though six people in Oregon managed to get themselves killed by investigating one after it had come down. Many historians speculate the Japanese were less interested in doing damage, but were merely trying to create mass histeria, woefully underestimating the natural resilience of the America people. The same failed strategy seems to have been employed by the Chinese this past week.

Speaking of the Chicken Little (“The sky is falling!”) effect, Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy is quoted as saying, “That balloon went over our heartland, and we know that China is gobbling up farmland. They’re trying to corner, in some ways, our food supply as well.”

Calm down, Rachel, and try not to get caught up in the prevailing winds.