Foreign LLC continues to acquire land in California critical to energy and national defense.

FAIRFIELD, Calif. (KGO) – The United States Air Force is investigating a company that’s purchased $800 million of land near Travis Air Force Base, one of the most critical military bases in the U.S. But after eight months of investigation, government officials have been unable to identify who’s behind it nor rule out any threat to national security.

Flannery LLC was founded 4 and 1/2 years ago and was registered to a Washington DC-based law firm.

There is no information about the actual ownership of this LLC. The previous Reddit thread from 4 years ago has some interesting tidbits of information that you may be interested in reading in addition to the new article.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Sacramento/comments/c96bkb/a_mysterious_corporation_has_quietly_bought/

What’s additionally interesting is that the land that they acquired around Travis Air Force Base will be bayfront property with future sea level increases of between 3 to 5 ft. NOAA has predicted the sea level increase will blow by that with a 7.2 ft average global sea level rise by 2100.

So either we have a secretive Chinese back shell company acquiring critical infrastructure and land for spying on American military assets, or a very optimistic wealthy investor with way too much money and is getting creative in what kind of investment schemes they park their money in.

  • markr@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    So the only options are Bad China Bad! or somebody anticipating ocean front real estate in 80 years?

    See false dichotomies for Your Fallacy.

    • Zron@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Ah yes. The mystery company buying land right next to Air Force bases and key electrical infrastructure should definitely just be ignored.

      Surely they could have no other motivation besides farming on their incredibly overpriced land that they purchased in extremely specific areas.

      • laylawashere44@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        1 year ago

        False Dichotomy again. The options aren’t to ignore or not ignore. OP is simply suggesting that there might be a much simpler less sinister reason.

          • markr@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Why does one require an advantage? An advantage over what?

            Uttering fallacies, if intentional, is an effort to persuade with deliberate disregard for the truth. Why would one do that?

            • Zron@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Its basic logic.

              The US has political and economic competition in the globe, and, for some reason, allows those competitors to purchase land in the US.

              An unidentified entity is purchasing huge amounts of land for well above market price near important military and civilian infrastructure.

              Which is more practical, to assume an enemy is doing enemy things and attempting to spy on/sabotage you, or to assume everything is 100% innocent.

              I would much rather myself and my government assume the former until proven otherwise, as assuming the latter only has negative outcomes.

              • markr@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                You have zero evidence that China is involved. Your claim I responded to was that either it was China or a speculator buying beachfront property for 2100. That was a spectacularly ridiculous false dichotomy.

                As you would know If you read the link that explained exactly what Flannery LLC is up to: they are buying agricultural land all over California. There is no mystery here.

                • Zron@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  I would like you to quote or link me to the comment where I said such a thing.

                  If you actually read my comments. I haven’t said much at all.

                • Zron@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  I would like you to quote or link me to the comment where I said such a thing.

                  All I’ve said so far is we shouldn’t assume it’s not china, as we don’t know who it is and assuming everything is hunky dory is naive and dangerous.

                • dogslayeggs@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  Buying it up at well above market value. Why are they paying too much for land, and where does a company with no known owners/directors have $800 million?

    • PersnickityPenguin@lemm.eeOP
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      1 year ago

      I think it’s a very least, our government does need to do it’s due diligence to protect American from foreign interests.

      Years ago, the FBI used to investigate foreign actors acting against America’s interests. Although I am no flag waving ultra-nationalist, I do believe that our government needs to protect Americans and our businesses, military and our institutions.

      If they do not fulfill this basic need, then they are asleep at the wheel and like our failing cybersecurity, we are at a huge disadvantage against our enemies.

      Also, don’t forget that China was flying a surveillance balloon over the United States recently. And that was at least a second one that had flown previously over Hawaii several years ago. China is well known to operate a global surveillance program over many countries. This isn’t paranoia, I mean we do it too with our signals intelligence.