I see the nuance you have articulated. Thank you!

I can also see a "unifying mental model" -- whatever increases the "health" is pursued.

A corporation needs to "feed" on money, so its actions reflect this (e.g. PMs worsening services intentionally, in order to be able to charge more and thereby boost revenue).

A party in power needs to "feed" on support from its "base", so its actions reflect this (you said it best: "for the sake of cruelty")