Why it is dangerous to be a fan of any government

One thing that most politically engaged people seem to agree on today is this: the world is becoming more polarized and divisive. Whether left or right, conservative or progressive, across democracies worldwide, people acknowledge this growing rift, but still, somehow, fail spectacularly to address it.

Why? There is only one reason that comes to my mind: too many people have become fans of their political parties, leaders, and governments. This is why we are living in the Age of political fandom and the decline of constructive dialogue at every level of society.  

When you become a fan, you are no longer just a supporter; no matter what you call yourself, you are a devoted follower. The first thing fans do is they begin to idolize. As a fan, your loyalty becomes so strong that you no longer see faults, or worse, you explain them away by pointing fingers at others: “They did worse,” “What about them?” or “This is not even a real problem.” This is what's going on around us, that too on a massive scale. In this atmosphere, public discourse has turned into a battleground of superfans, shouting, abusing, demeaning, and scoring points, often with more passion than purpose. And the biggest beneficiaries of this environment? Political leaders and governments across the board. 

There’s no denying that every elected government in a functioning democracy works toward fulfilling its promises, and those achievements deserve recognition. But that doesn’t mean we become cheerleaders for the government or the leader we voted for. Supporting a government is not the same as suspending our critical thinking. It does not mean we become their fan and stop questioning or criticizing them. Also, not being a fan of any government does not mean to dispute all progress or work done by them or to question their every action consistently. Being a responsible citizen means holding our leaders accountable, continually asking what more needs to be done, pointing out harmful policies, and challenging populist measures that disproportionately hurt vulnerable sections of society. It means to reflect on a broader behavioral pattern that tries to make use of certain loopholes of the democratic process to stifle opposition. Criticism of a leader or government should not be mistaken for a rejection of all progress. Conversely, acknowledging progress shouldn’t mean ignoring ethical concerns or governance failures. Progress and a leader’s moral compass are not mutually exclusive, but they are distinct.

Unfortunately, what we see today is an alarming trend: people often justifying or even glorifying the questionable behavior of leaders they support, sometimes to the point of turning a blind eye to actions or rhetoric that may harm the most vulnerable or undermine democratic norms. The concern is not about disagreeing with voters' choices; that’s their democratic right. It’s about how those choices are defended. And here's the irony: when one group supports a leader fervently, it’s called “respecting the will of the people.” But when another group does the same for a different leader, for example, Trump, it’s mocked, dismissed, or viewed with disbelief. This double standard is troubling; it is not just intellectually dishonest, it normalizes hypocrisy. If we want our democracies to function well, we must strive for consistency. Be fair in your praise, and be fair in your criticism.

It’s also worth noting that economic progress is often championed most by the privileged classes, because they benefit most directly. But a democracy cannot be judged by GDP alone. Its true measure lies in how it treats its dissenters, its minorities, and its most marginalized citizens. That is where the real test of leadership begins, and where political fandom must end. Remember, without constructive criticism, your support becomes meaningless; you’re not a responsible citizen, just part of a fandom. And being a fan of any government is not just unwise, it's dangerous. 

Thank you for reading, and please share your views on this topic. 

© Vinay Thakur, All rights reserved. Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com 

Dangers of being a "fan"

Let me start this post by mentioning that I know how it feels to be a fan of someone as I was also one such fan. I am not just talking about some casual fan or admirer who just likes someone and is not crazy about them, but about a 'die-hard' fan, for whom their idols are above everything. These fans have blind faith in their idols, just like a religious devotee. According to them their idols are perfect and can do nothing wrong. Such fans worship people who they adore and can do anything for them. I was one such die-hard fan of two very celebrated artists from India, actor Amitabh Bachchan, and legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar. I adored them so much that no matter what I tried to watch each and every movie in which they contributed anything, also tried to read whatever I could about their work and their lives. At the same time, I disliked anything written against them, I despised anyone who said anything even remotely criticizing them, and I hated and tried to criticize or demean any competitor who posed any challenge to their position. According to me, they were the best, no one was even close to them, there was no doubt in my mind that these two people were legends and no one could replace them ever. When I look back today I realize how stupid and ignorant I was at that time. This is why I totally understand the behavior of many ardent followers or fans of any political leader or artist. I don't get annoyed, frustrated, or angry at these people as I understand their situation and only hope that they come out of that mental state soon.

It is not a very desirable situation to be a fanatic fan of anyone. Rather, it is a very dangerous situation because as a fan, you tend to shut your logic and rationale completely when you deal with anything related to your idol. Fan's opinions about their own idols or people who talk or compete against their idols are devoid of any logic and rationale. To take my own example, I admired Amitabh and Lata so much that I hated their competitors without even watching or evaluating their work. For me, Amitabh was the ultimate hero, the one and the only angry young man and no one came even close to him. I disliked movies of Anil Kapoor who was an upcoming star at that time only because he was threatening the position of Amitabh as an angry young man. Similarly, I also disliked the songs of Anuradha Paudwal who was again an upcoming singer with the help of the music company T-series without even considering the merits and demerits of her performance just because she was getting more popular than Lata. I didn't care that these other artists also had an equal right to display their talent and compete for that top space. I was just angry with them because they challenged my idols and according to me, it was the biggest crime anyone could do.

Any celebrity loves to have as many fans as possible. These fans create the buzz and euphoria about that celebrity. These celebrities get fame, money, and great careers because of their fans, but as fans, we don't get much except the joy of watching someone perform. It is not a bad thing at all to like some actor, politician, or any other person and learn good things from them. It is not bad to read about them or try to follow their work and opinions. As humans, we are bound to have certain likes and dislikes. But to take that like or dislike to a level where there is no scope for any discussion or debate is what differentiates a die-hard fan from the rest of the admirers. Today also I like Amitabh and Lata Mangeshkar, I love to watch and listen to them, but I am not a die-hard fan of them or anyone now. I know that someone will replace these artists today or tomorrow. I understand that there are people who are as good or may be better than them. I don't get angry if anyone starts to criticize them or point out some flaws in their performance or says anything bad about them. I am very glad that I came out of my "fan mode" sooner than I expected. I wish all the fans behave with some sense and logic whenever their dear idol is criticized or defeated. It is natural to feel disappointed, but our outrage should also be expressed appropriately. If you support any particular political party, then please remember that other political groups also have an equal right to propagate their views. If you support any political leader or any artist then please remember that as a public figure, these people are open to criticism from anyone. Please don't react like a fanatic if anyone says anything about your dear idol. If possible, please don't become a die-hard fan of anyone, believe me, you won't regret it.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]