The hashtag “#ManishRadi” has awakened tensions in Algeria, triggering an immediate response from the regime, which sees it as part of a plot hatched by the “Makhzen” and its Israeli ally. This cry of protest, although rooted in the very real ills of Algerian society, is thus diverted to fuel classic rhetoric aimed at eclipsing popular demands in the face of decades of stagnation.
A hashtag, a national panic
In Algeria, the hashtag “#ManishRadi” had the effect of a stone in water… or rather a cobblestone in a stagnant pond. This protest slogan, although very Algerian, had the misfortune of highlighting the evils that plague society. Immediately, the answer came: it would be a Moroccan manipulation orchestrated in the shadows by an “occult laboratory” of the “Makhzen”, supported – of course – by the favorite enemy of regimes in crisis: Israel. Nothing like a foreign conspiracy to distract from the essential, namely legitimate popular discontent in the face of decades of inaction.
The incriminated hashtag would therefore have been “trending” in Morocco, ultimate proof for some that the neighbors of Western Eden are playing the puppeteers in this affair. Surprising reasoning: it is not impossible to imagine that Moroccans, just like Tunisians or Kuwaitis, simply shared an Algerian news story. But in the parallel world of the Algiers capos regime, where every internal criticism is an external attack, simplicity has, unfortunately, no place.
Self-satisfaction disguised as patriotism
That said, in response to “#ManishRadi”, the counter-hashtag “#AnaMâaBladi” (I am with my country) was massively relayed, transforming social criticism into an act of national betrayal. A classic strategy which consists of diverting attention from the real problems by agitating the patriotic fiber.
But if we scratch beneath the veneer, the argument crumbles. Yes, the Algerians “are not satisfied”, as the famous commentator “Hafid Derradji” reminds us, but they would, however, be ready to suffer in silence out of solidarity with a State which has abandoned them for decades. A great exercise in resilience, or the most cynical would say, in resignation.
And, what can we say about Algerian politicians and influencers, who, instead of thinking about the demands of their fellow citizens, prefer to denounce a hybrid war led by neighboring Morocco? At this rate, each power cut or rise in bread prices will soon be blamed on Rabat, as usual. There is no shortage of examples to this effect, fires in Kabylia, the theft of Mount Toubkal and let’s forget about the green and the unripe.
The response of the regime of the two seniles from the balcony of the Muppets show made in Algeria also highlights a bleak reality: the structural weakness of the local media. Unable to provide credible and independent information, they let the population turn to foreign platforms and social networks, where the debate is less controlled. Rather than investing in genuine media openness, the regime prefers to denounce external manipulations, thus reinforcing citizens' dependence on often biased sources.
The broken mirror of the Algerian media
This situation reflects the failure of a system which, instead of resolving Algeria's structural problems – unemployment, inflation, collapse of public services – is bogged down in a rhetoric of national victimization. The paradox is glaring: a State which claims to fight against disinformation without offering its citizens a public space worthy of the name.
Ultimately, the “#AnaMâaBladi” campaign is nothing more than a knee-jerk response to an inconvenient truth. The Algerians are not satisfied, and they are making it known, whether the regime likes it or not. Attempting to pass off internal criticism as an external attack is a diversionary strategy that has proven successful in authoritarian regimes. But, alas, she no longer fools many people.
Faced with a world in reorganization, where the challenges are as economic as they are ecological, Algeria would benefit from transforming this malaise into a driving force for reform. But for this, we must first listen to the voice of the people instead of silencing them. Because if patriotism is a virtue, it cannot serve as an alibi for inaction. And, as history ironically reminds us, people who refuse to be satisfied with the status quo always end up writing their own future, with or without the consent of their leaders, however senile and totalitarian they may be.
