Does real life now follow a storyline reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings? Is a rising power in the East threatening the stability of our civilization?
Perhaps the greater concern is not the rising power itself, but the troubling possibility that our own government either doesn’t know—or won’t say—what’s happening.
According to the New York Post, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, suggested Tuesday that the wave of drones sighted over New Jersey and near U.S. military installations in recent weeks likely originated from Communist China.
“We need to identify who is behind these drones,” McCaul told reporters before a classified briefing with executive branch officials. “My judgment, based on my experience, is that those that are over our military sites are adversarial and most likely are coming from the People’s Republic of China.”
McCaul acknowledged that his conclusions were based on circumstantial evidence.
“I believe they’re spy drones, and the PRC—Communist China—is very good at this stuff. We know they’ve bought land around military bases. This would be very consistent with their policy over the past couple years,” he added.
McCaul’s speculation appears as credible as any of the theories advanced so far. Other explanations have included the possibility that the drones originate in Iran or involve friendly actors conducting a frantic search for missing radioactive materials.
For now, the Biden administration has offered little clarity, leaving the American public in the dark.
Will we ever know what’s happening over New Jersey?
President-elect Donald Trump has stated that the federal government likely knows far more than it has revealed. Until transparency is achieved, McCaul’s theory demands serious consideration.
The Case for China’s Involvement
Since 1949, the Chinese people have lived under an oppressive Communist regime. One of the darkest chapters of this history, Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, stands as a chilling example of totalitarianism.
Communist regimes, by nature, operate with globalist ambitions. The Soviet Union’s Communist International (Comintern), for example, openly promoted worldwide revolution. Similarly, China has engaged in strategic maneuvers in the United States, from the use of spy balloons to acquiring American land near sensitive installations.
It’s reasonable to deduce hostile intent from such activities.
A More Cautious View
However, China’s civilization spans thousands of years, and its historical engagement with foreign powers has often been marked by subtlety rather than overt aggression. For instance, during the Korean War, Chinese troops quietly slipped behind advancing American forces near the Yalu River and launched a surprise attack—one of the longest retreats in U.S. military history.
The conspicuous appearance of drones in U.S. airspace doesn’t align with this historically subtle approach.
What Now?
McCaul’s theory may be accurate. China could have both the means and the motive to conduct a drone surveillance operation at this scale. However, the larger problem lies with the U.S. government’s lack of transparency.
Trump’s 2024 electoral victory was fueled, in part, by Americans’ growing distrust of their government—mistrust that dates back to the 1960s. A culture of secrecy within the federal government, rooted in the Cold War era, has fostered a disconnect between officials and the public.
This culture must change. Trump’s return to the White House should mark the beginning of a new era where the government is no longer allowed to conceal critical information from its citizens. Transparency and accountability must become non-negotiable.
Only then can speculation like McCaul’s be replaced by definitive answers, restoring trust between the government and the American people.
