> Because there's a good chance America's three letter agencies have that figured out already anyway and the thing is technically ten years out of date.

Scrambling F-22s to intercept something harmless we understand so deeply makes no sense.

> Conducting some potentially risky and costly shootdown of a balloon over US territory seems out of proportion.

I didn't say anything about shooting it down. But if that's the US's only option, it speaks volumes to how incapable we are of handling such a threat without undue risk to ourselves. Embarrassing if so.