India is a conservative society. Women are 50% of the vote bank. They actually vote in larger numbers compared to men in many constituencies. They manage households and are very quick to notice price increases etc. The free bus rides and cash handouts are basically a transparent attempt to buy their vote. It is what it is.
It fits perfectly literally everywhere on earth, the main challenge is in claiming that the masses can tolerate not being "intoxicated". For all we know religion is an inevitable characteristic of the human species.
Are the political parties really giving freebies because they want to serve the poor and improve their lives? Or is it a means to come to power so that they can loot us more? And are the political parties that resort to such tactics even capable of improving our economy in the first place, or ruin it further? I don't trust these tactics.
