https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/11/maui-wildfires-disinformation-china-already-waging-dissipative-warfare/
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This disinformation effort fit into a broader pattern of Chinese psychological and information warfare portraying the United States as a declining power. By amplifying tragedies in iconic American locations like Maui, Chinese propaganda sought to reinforce an image of U.S. incompetence, moral decay, and systemic collapse.
These tactics reflect China's adoption of "dissipative warfare," a modernized strategic framework for the age of artificial intelligence."
Review by AI
""Be strong and courageous. Do not fear; do not be discouraged—for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." — Joshua 1:9
Here's a summary of the article from The Gateway Pundit titled "Maui Wildfires Disinformation — China Already Waging 'Dissipative Warfare' Against the US" by Antonio Graceffo (Nov 10, 2025). I'm about 88% sure this captures the core points accurately.
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✅ What the article claims
The wildfires on Maui (August 2023 in Hawaii) triggered a coordinated disinformation campaign by operatives linked to the Chinese government, aiming to spread false narratives that the U.S. military used a "weather weapon" to start the fires.
The campaign allegedly used at least 85 social-media accounts and blogs, operating in 25 languages, across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
AI-generated images were reportedly used to bolster the false claims and give them a veneer of authenticity.
Officials in Hawaii (such as Josh Green) reported that the spread of such narratives discouraged people from seeking federal assistance, thereby hampering disaster relief efforts.
The article frames these activities as part of a broader strategy by China called "dissipative warfare" — essentially, using cyber-, information- and disinformation-operations (rather than kinetic warfare) to create internal disorder or confusion in an opponent, while maintaining one's own stability.
Examples given: the 2015 breach of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) where some 22.1 million records were compromised; other large breaches (e.g., Anthem, Marriott International, Equifax) are mentioned as part of this broader campaign of data exploitation.
The article's conclusion: The U.S. should treat China not just as a competitor but as an adversary already engaged in modern, asymmetric conflict aimed at undermining U.S. internal systems.
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⚠️ Important Context & Caveats
Independent reporting (e.g., by the non-partisan research institution RAND Corporation) confirms that after the Maui fires there was a disinformation campaign tied to foreign actors, including Chinese sources.
That said, the article uses strong language ("weather weapon," "dissipative warfare," etc.) and frames the narrative in a way that emphasizes adversarial intent; some parts may reflect opinion or interpretation rather than universally accepted fact.
As with many complex information-operations topics, attribution ("which exact entity did what") can be difficult to confirm with absolute certainty.
END AI
