Keyboard armies versus the national interest

By Flogert Muça

Behind the façade of official political statements, where everyone declares themselves “as one” in support of the Commanders, a dirty digital war is being waged with its epicentre in the heart of Prishtina. On the battlefield of social networks, orchestrated keyboard armies are applying aggressive manipulation techniques to push narrow power agendas, ruthlessly attacking the central figures of the KLA and especially Hashim Thaçi.

The target of this hybrid operation is not only the historical leaders in the dock at The Hague, but every public voice, journalist or analyst who dares to take a defensive stance. Through savage labelling, the use of incriminating narratives and the narrative that “they were killers”, an attempt is being made to create a climate of fear and censorship, where defending the truth of the liberation war is punished with public lynching for the political interest of the day.

This clash raises major doubts about understanding the depth of the political and moral crisis:

• Who is feeding and financing the digital armies within the Albanian space that use the same language and labels as official Belgrade propaganda?
• What national cost is Kosovo paying when the politics of the day uses the algorithm to destroy the symbols of independence and state-building?
• Until when will it be allowed for the fear of Hashim Thaçi’s political return to reach the point where everyone who defends the KLA’s legacy is attacked?

This is not simply another game of news or montages. It is a dangerous trap where digital manipulation is attempting to overturn history, ultimately damaging the Albanian factor for the sake of momentary political gains.