So Alex, tell us what you think about Area 51
Right, Area 51. It conjures images of alien spacecraft and super double probation secret activities in the middle of the Nevada desert. What do I think is going on?
How do I even begin to answer that. Let’s consider a scenario. We all know the Russians have a large panel deep within the bowels of the Kremlin with an array of big red buttons subject to being pushed in the event of a terminal military escalation. Washington DC. New York. Los Angeles. NORAD. Puget Sound Naval Base. The list goes on but let’s say our government tasked me with ensuring that the very first button on the left, the first big red button to get mashed, is one of our own choice. How would I do that?
I’d pick a safe spot out in the middle of the desert, a hundred miles from the nearest populated area, put a massive airfield on it, seed some hype asserting that it is the home of the most sensitive, important, top level defense research possibly involving the reverse engineering of alien spacecraft, and fly hundreds of people in and out daily on a ‘secret’ airline, all in glaring view of half a dozen Russian spy satellites. But I wouldn’t actually base anything there that is that important - nothing that would be a big deal if Groom Lake suddenly disappeared in a mushroom cloud. Think about it. I’d want that very first big red button to read Зона 51. And you know what? It probably does.
I’m not claiming Area 51 is a big diversion, but… it gets A LOT of attention. It certainly deflects attention from other key facilities, eg. Skunkworks, Lawrence Livermore Labs, etc. whether intentional or not. The government certainly doesn’t take any steps to actively dissuade the myths surrounding the facility. And how can you really keep the most sensitive secrets really secret if you are herding masses of civilians back and forth on a daily bases on an airline that is actually operated by a private contractor? Hell, even their security is provided by a private contractor. I’m sure it’s a test bed for some very important projects, but I doubt it’s home to many (if any at all) very important projects.
Oh, and to you guys deep within the belly of CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia whose job it is to keep tabs on guys like me, if I’m on target, honestly, I don’t actually know one way or the other. I’m just throwing out a possibility.
