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And at a minimum they knew he is former military thanks to that huge OPM hack several years ago. As he would have shown up on the list along with having a secur

And at a minimum they knew he is former military thanks to that huge OPM hack several years ago. As he would have shown up on the list along with having a security clearance.

_iyig 7y ago
True. That said, U.S. military service is generally a matter of public record, e.g.: https://www.altus.af.mil/News/Art/igphoto/2001074536/ https://www.altus.af.mil/News/Art/igphoto/2001074536/
- steve19 7y ago
  And failing that linkedIn.
Basketb926 7y ago
That or maybe some of this other evidence about him easily findable on Google https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97WBHOXOSZU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97WBHOXOSZU https://www.altus.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/619843/hohn-takes-command-at-altus-air-force-base/ https://www.altus.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/619843...
squarefoot 7y ago
Very likely. They needed a pawn for the economic war against the US and took the first opportunity; the arrest for carrying airsoft pellets seems the only pretext they could find.
- knzhou 7y ago
  A billion people is a lot. Does literally every action taken by anybody in China have to be part of a government plot? Do you honestly think that this tiny, random event is going to have any bearing on trade negotiations, or are you just looking to ascribe any sinister motive you can?
  - frequentnapper 7y ago
    How do you know it's random? Just because you're Chinese doesn't mean you have to side with china's govt.
    - knzhou 7y ago
      Imagine that random, unremarkable things involving people from Arkansas occasionally got blasted across every newspaper and forum in the US. And everywhere you went, you saw people saying that this must be a plot from Arkansas' governor to take over the US, and everybody from Arkansas is a government spy, that Arkansas' culture of deception meant that you could never trust anybody from it, and that true patriots spent every day fuming in hatred at Arkansas and its people. If you were born in Arkansas, this would be all be clearly crazy, because you would know that your family in Arkansas are ordinary human beings, not heartless government spies. And it would be rather alarming, even if you had moved out of Arkansas, and hated its current government, because you would be next on the chopping block. It would be even more disappointing if, when you tried to argue otherwise, you were dismissed without a thought by the same Arkansas paranoia. That's how witch hunts work.
      - frequentnapper 7y ago
        Well, if I were to have moved out of Arkansas, and hated its current govt, I wouldn't be defending its govt when it detained people without any solid reasoning.
        knzhou 7y ago
        Well, I just told you why I wrote the comments I did. I mean, are you part of any groups that get constantly bashed in the popular press, or on the internet at large? Any groups that are the subject of paranoia, witch hunts, and general moral panic? If you really aren't, you're extraordinarily lucky. If you are, you know where I'm coming from. Moreover, I'm not defending any governments. I'm just pointing out in this thread that an act that is stupid in retrospect might have just been that -- one person's stupid mistake. There's no need to talk about it in such conspiratorial tones.
stunt 7y ago
> thanks to that huge OPM hack several years ago You don't need that. Just search names in Google and Facebook and spend 15mins for it. Works for 90% of military personals. People share what they do, eat, and where they go these days.

And at a minimum they knew he is former military thanks to that huge OPM hack several years ago. As he would have shown up on the list along with having a security clearance.

_iyig 7y ago

True. That said, U.S. military service is generally a matter of public record, e.g.: https://www.altus.af.mil/News/Art/igphoto/2001074536/ https://www.altus.af.mil/News/Art/igphoto/2001074536/

steve19 7y ago
And failing that linkedIn.

Basketb926 7y ago

That or maybe some of this other evidence about him easily findable on Google https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97WBHOXOSZU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97WBHOXOSZU https://www.altus.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/619843/hohn-takes-command-at-altus-air-force-base/ https://www.altus.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/619843...

squarefoot 7y ago

Very likely. They needed a pawn for the economic war against the US and took the first opportunity; the arrest for carrying airsoft pellets seems the only pretext they could find.

knzhou 7y ago
A billion people is a lot. Does literally every action taken by anybody in China have to be part of a government plot? Do you honestly think that this tiny, random event is going to have any bearing on trade negotiations, or are you just looking to ascribe any sinister motive you can?
- frequentnapper 7y ago
  How do you know it's random? Just because you're Chinese doesn't mean you have to side with china's govt.
  - knzhou 7y ago
    Imagine that random, unremarkable things involving people from Arkansas occasionally got blasted across every newspaper and forum in the US. And everywhere you went, you saw people saying that this must be a plot from Arkansas' governor to take over the US, and everybody from Arkansas is a government spy, that Arkansas' culture of deception meant that you could never trust anybody from it, and that true patriots spent every day fuming in hatred at Arkansas and its people. If you were born in Arkansas, this would be all be clearly crazy, because you would know that your family in Arkansas are ordinary human beings, not heartless government spies. And it would be rather alarming, even if you had moved out of Arkansas, and hated its current government, because you would be next on the chopping block. It would be even more disappointing if, when you tried to argue otherwise, you were dismissed without a thought by the same Arkansas paranoia. That's how witch hunts work.
    - frequentnapper 7y ago
      Well, if I were to have moved out of Arkansas, and hated its current govt, I wouldn't be defending its govt when it detained people without any solid reasoning.
      - knzhou 7y ago
        Well, I just told you why I wrote the comments I did. I mean, are you part of any groups that get constantly bashed in the popular press, or on the internet at large? Any groups that are the subject of paranoia, witch hunts, and general moral panic? If you really aren't, you're extraordinarily lucky. If you are, you know where I'm coming from. Moreover, I'm not defending any governments. I'm just pointing out in this thread that an act that is stupid in retrospect might have just been that -- one person's stupid mistake. There's no need to talk about it in such conspiratorial tones.

stunt 7y ago

> thanks to that huge OPM hack several years ago You don't need that. Just search names in Google and Facebook and spend 15mins for it. Works for 90% of military personals. People share what they do, eat, and where they go these days.