When populism meets cultish behavior it produces politicians like Donald Trump, Bolsonaro, Modi, and Imran Khan. Psychiatrists have studied the behavior of the crowd and they have concluded that a mob exhibit psychology that is different from an individual. One of the key characteristics of it is the suspension of individual rationality, morality, and control. In a mob, a highly educated person that abhors violence can commit violent acts without feeling any remorse for it. The other characteristic is that the mob destroys rather than builds anything because it lacks structure and hierarchy.
Donald Trump leads a self-righteous mob that refuses to accept anyone that disagrees with him. One of his supporters ran over a crowd that was protesting. His supporters use derogatory language and curse words against all those that criticize their cult leader. They have destroyed American credibility around the world and angered long-standing allies.
Imran Khan also leads a self-righteous mob and exhibit similar psychological traits. For instance, recently when Imran Khan came under a lot of criticism about his Kashmir policy one of his supporters sent a WhatsApp message that comprised of 17 cover photos of him published by International magazines. How were these pictures related to the Kashmir issue?
These pictures were sent by a person who is highly qualified and holds a senior position in a multinational company. A perfect example of the suspension of rationality to exhibit a cultish mob behavior. Another example is that there are lots of questionable people around Imran Khan but when concerns have been raised the response from highly educated people is that he is honest himself. How does honesty of one person transferable to another person?
Imran Khan claims that our country has suffered because of corruption, cronyism, and nepotism. When questions are raised than how he accepts corrupt in his team and engage in nepotism? Once again arguments are given by highly educated people that we should trust Imran Khan regardless of the evidence that suggests otherwise.
The self-righteous mob fails to comprehend that a person disagreeing with their cult leader does not support their opponents. I am not a member of PML N or PPP neither do I have any intention to join these parties as I consider them dinosaurs that are refusing to change and dying their natural death. Whenever I criticize the wrong policies of Imran Khan the most common response is that I am a hidden member of PML N. They don’t need any evidence just because I am disagreeing with their cult leader is proof that I am a member of their opponents. My interaction with PML N and PPP is enough to suggest that I am a hidden member. In their view every single member of PML N and PPP are corrupt and these parties do not have honest people in them.
Conversely, any corrupt that join Imran Khan overnight become an honest person. Today I saw one of Imran Khan supporters issuing galian to a respected journalist on social media. Why? Because the journalist criticizes the great Khan. Who has given the right to Imran Khan or his supporters to use galian and uncivilized language against other citizens?
The self-righteous mob does not build public support but destroys it. Just see how Donald Trump embarrassed a mighty power like the USA in just two years around the world. PM Modi is destroying the social fabric of Indian society and commits atrocities against minorities while his cult followers cheer for him. Similarly, Imran Khan has not built anything in five years in KP. He uses the derogatory term about Maulana Fazlur Rehman but who is the person that he gave party ticket to contest against him. It is the same person who was running away with a stolen ballot box and claimed there was honey in the Johnny Walker liquor bottle. People of Dera Ismail Khan know the character of Ali Amin Gandapur but for the cult, all this can be ignored because he has joined the great Khan earning a seal of honesty.
Imran Khan supporters claim that they will reform the country. They can’t until they get rid of the cult leader and install someone that is a good administrator and take well thought out decisions. Those that were on the fringes have already left the cult and only hardcore supporters are left around Imran Khan.
These former supporters are the ones that now lead social media campaigns to force the government to withdraw wrong decisions. Those that are still following blindly I request them to open their eyes and see reality.
The engineers that installed the cult leader are also cultish in their attitudes. They do not allow anyone to criticise them and hold them accountable. We are an abnormal society because of our emotionalism, tribalism, and irrationalism. The current republic is the result of these attitudes and it is, for this reason, it cannot deliver. We have to start working on building a second republic.