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Recorded: 12-18-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, a separate portion of the recent conversation between J.G. and Reason Magazine's Matthew Petti is presented. In the course of their most recent conversation, J.G. and Petti ended up talking about the recent flap of mysterious drone sightings that have occurred in New Jersey and seemingly spread to other states like Pennsylvania. These drone sighting and the sensationalistic response to them are akin to the UFO sightings of old, conjuring up a slew of conspiracy theories and, arguably, mass panic. Chief among those conspiracy theories is that the Islamic Republic of Iran is behind the drones. From Matthew's recent Reason Magazine piece entitled "No, an Iranian ‘mothership’ isn't attacking New Jersey with UFOs":

Something weird is going on in New Jersey, and it's not just the swamp gas. Residents across the state have been calling in nighttime sightings of unidentified flying objects for the past month, including over military bases and President-elect Donald Trump's golf course. Neither local police nor the feds can explain what is going on—but Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R–N.J.) believes he has the answer.

"Iran launched a mothership, probably about a month ago, that contains these drones. It's off the east coast of America," the congressman told Fox News on Wednesday, citing "sources who can't reveal who they are." Then he hedged his bets, saying that the "drones should be shot down, whether it was some crazy hobbyist that we can't imagine, or whether it is Iran, and I think it very possibly could be."

So, the conspiracy theories have already started. We'll talk about that, but we'll also have a more general discussion about drones, drone hobbyists, the legal issues around shooting down drones, and much more!