Joe, it is hard to know, which part of this post is "sarcasm" and which should be considered serious. Do us a favor and underline the serious part, thanks!
Now please don't do that to me; I already get more than is justified from
@jbgt90. All of it was seriously meant, I can't help writing the way I do.
Had I written that, you would have said "No. Prime Minister",
On a straight note - I got the humour, btw - I don't cheat, or dupe the others in a discussion. Well, hardly ever.
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Consider this: There are two nations which are at each others throat for so many generations and the common statements that come from their "Head of Government" are mostly chest thumping and accusing in nature vis-a-vis the other nation.
Then comes a moment when "Head of Government" of one adversary nation, while on a foreign state visit, says that, what they normally say in private meetings and gives loud and clear statements which all but validate the position taken by the other country.
Which position of that "Head of Government" would be highlighted more on world forums by adversary? The usual fiction (such as "Hanuman army conducting surgical strikes", (ok, it was his defense minister)) , or the one which validates the position that his country has been involved in nasty cross-border terrorism business?
What do you think irritates some of us most about this 56" lumberjack? Or his even more irritating smirk-smirk-wink-wink current defence minister, the one who smirks about unspeakable offences, and salutes like a US four-star general?
Ok, do you want me to rather chose "Hanuman army conducting fictional surgical strikes" narrative instead? That would make me look like a fool, why would I wanna do that?
My point was completely different. How come his credibility is so low when he uses the Army and what it does for cheap popularity? and how come it is so high when he underwrites his comic version of 007, the one who has his masala chai shaken, not stirred?
So he was elected by the majority of voters. Or do you want to put a spin on this as well?
31% is a majority???
Wait, give me a few seconds....1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6..........
Oh, wait, what am I doing? The BJP is already asking how 20% of the population can claim to be a 'minority'; now the entire conversation becomes clear. Without prurience, one can safely say that the colour of your undies is khaki; you are a deep cover Sanghi false-flagging here. 'fess up now, and you won't get your teeth extracted without anaesthetic.
Neither in India or even USA. You want to tell me that deep state does not exist in these countries?
Of course it does. The deep state is essentially housed within institutions; outside those, it is nothing but a talk-shop. As far as influencing the vote is concerned, the factors you mention are important and relevant; within an institution, in an administrative context, that is not how decisions are taken, that is not how decisions are influenced. That is precisely the blind alley that this present lot have got into; they think that their command over these factors in the electoral sphere - and even that thought is overblown - can be taken further in their dealings with the deep state, or what they try to put together as an acceptable interface to that. What they don't 'get' is that people they pick will go along with them tactically, and do, but will regress to the consensual view whenever they can. And the pols are totally unable to control that reaction; that, btw, is why the deep state IS the deep state in the first place.
And all those lobbies (based on caste, family, religious beliefs, business interests) are non-factors to determine the outcome? Well Joe, I had expected better from you.
It's nothing to do with me, or my views, or my interests. That's how the system works. Take each factor one at a time.
You can buy retired civil servants and give them plush jobs after retirement, and signal to the bureaucracy whatever you want to signal - nobody is crass about this - but that doesn't mean that you get your way always. Only as long as everything is aligned and the omens are propitious.
Take religious beliefs. I really feel sorry for a Pakistani viewer of Indian social or institutional working; don't go by your illusions, hothoused in fora like these, go by the experience of Pakistani ex-pats working with Indians in various parts of the globe. THAT is the reality, not what you imagine thanks to watching too many Sunny Deol movies.
And finally, take caste or family. Nobody's coming to you with a marriage proposal; that's the only time it matters. Maybe. It didn't matter for members of my extended family, and increasingly doesn't matter outside the moronic cow-belt even for that. Some of you have weird ideas, really weird ideas about India and Indian society. Too much Sunny Deol, too much PDF. You're better off going by your impressions when you meet random Indians when travelling.
We can go on, but I guess it would better to open a separate thread on this topic.
I suspect Oscar would heartily encourage that.