The Crisis Beyond Economics
Amine Bouchaib, a Moroccan writer residing in Italy, articulates a profound concern regarding the current situation faced by Moroccans, which he insists is not merely a transient spike in prices nor a simple reflection of international market fluctuations, as propagated by the government through its official media channels and spokespersons in what he describes as "illusory achievements." He emphasizes that the reality is far more serious, stating, "We are confronted with a systematic policy aimed at breaking the will of the Moroccan citizen, instilling a sense of daily humiliation and powerlessness, so that the demands for freedom, dignity, and social justice become mere distant dreams." Bouchaib points out that the signs of this political and social retribution emerged the moment Moroccans took to the streets to demand their rights to freedom, justice, and a fight against corruption and tyranny. As the populace shattered the barrier of fear and raised their voices against the monopolization of wealth and power, certain influential circles began to view citizens not as partners in the nation but as adversaries to be subdued and returned to a state of obedience.
The Illusion of Choice and the Reality of Oppression
He recalls the popular boycott campaign initiated by Moroccans against companies linked to Aziz Akhannouch, which starkly revealed the mentality governing the country. Citizens were not treated as free consumers exercising their legitimate right to economic protest; instead, they were addressed as "rebels" deserving of punishment. Bouchaib highlights Akhannouch's dismissive rhetoric about the need for "re-education," implying that the populace was merely a herd requiring instruction in obedience rather than being heard in their legitimate demands. Since that pivotal moment, as Bouchaib observes, there seems to be an unannounced decision to push Moroccans toward greater poverty and psychological and social pressure, with prices skyrocketing for basic necessities such as oil, sugar, vegetables, meat, fuel, transportation, electricity, water, education, and healthcare. Even the simplest conditions for a dignified life have become an unbearable burden for millions of Moroccan families, while wages remain stagnant, as if the citizen is expected to shoulder the consequences of political and economic failure alone.
The alarming surge in prices within Moroccan markets, according to Bouchaib, is not merely a fleeting economic anomaly but a natural outcome of the alliance between power and wealth, with market monopolies linked to influential networks. The Akhannouch government, he argues, has not come to safeguard the purchasing power of Moroccans but rather to protect the interests of large monopolizers, even if it means crushing the middle class and driving the poor into despair and collapse. Many Moroccans now perceive the state as a massive tax-collecting entity that raises prices, burdens citizens with taxes, reduces services, and leaves individuals to face hunger, unemployment, disease, and despair alone. More dangerously, there are those attempting to convince the populace that their suffering is a "natural fate" and that those who complain are either exaggerating or serving "suspect agendas."
However, the undeniable truth recognized by all is that Moroccans are no longer demanding luxury; they are merely seeking the right to live with dignity in their homeland. They desire a state that protects them, not a power that punishes them; they want an economy that serves the people, not monopolistic lobbies; and they seek leaders who empathize with the people's pain rather than boast about figures and empty rhetoric. The most perilous action any government can undertake is to compel its citizens to feel that their homeland no longer accommodates them. While populations may endure poverty for years, they cannot forgive humiliation, nor can they forget those who have turned their daily lives into a hell of inflation, fear, and helplessness. The Moroccan people, who have long endured the bitterness of marginalization and contempt, are now more aware than ever that the crisis extends beyond mere pricing; it is a crisis of governance, mentality, and authority that has chosen to align itself with money and influence against the populace.
When paying an electricity bill becomes a battle, and the struggle for basic sustenance turns into a nightmare haunting Moroccan families, it becomes clear that the issue transcends mere governmental failure; it reflects a resounding moral and political collapse. A state that fails to safeguard the dignity of its citizens or ignores their suffering inevitably opens the doors to anger, loss of trust, and social explosion. The question haunting Moroccans daily is: How long will this nation continue to ask the poor to be patient while the country’s coffers are opened to monopolistic lobbies? And how long will the people pay the price for policies they did not choose, and for governments that only heed the voices of wealth and influence?
As reported by ech-chaab.com.
