Himalayas Aflame

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that something is happening in the Himalayas? Three of it's nations are experiencing radical change and some with fiery consequences. What is apparent from these various struggles is that the call of freedom will not be suppressed--although, the jury is out as to the final outcome of each experiment in governance.One of these nations, Nepal, is the home of Mount Everest and other mighty peaks. For over 240 years, it has enshrined a monarchy, which by all accounts is now considered a failure. This will soon change. On April 10th 600 representatives to a constitutional assembly will begin the trek to a democracy controlled by a President and Prime Minister. Under the planned scheme, the King will be left out of the political loop completely.

His has been a troubled reign, to put it mildly. In 2001 the entire royal family, save one, was gunned down by an inebriated crown prince, who then turned the gun on himself. Being out of town, the current King saved his own hide, but not for long. Maoist insurgents were soon at his door and caused havoc until 2005 when the beleaguered king staged a royal coup and ousted or jailed elected officials. John Whelpton, an author on Nepal's history, said in an understated sort of way: "First of all, he grabbed power and, secondly, he didn't use it properly."

The Maoists were not impressed, either, and continued their guerrilla tactics which fomented a national uprising in April 2006. By November 2006, everyone had enough, and a UN peace accord calling for a new government was reached. The King was done. The people had spoken (WSJ, 3-22/23-08.)

Having seen how it could be, the King in nearby Bhutan insisted that his 700,000 subjects stage free and fair elections yesterday to seat a Parliament and pass a constitution. Bhutanese citizens went along with his request reluctantly. For a nation that adores its beneficent Monarch, this was a step forward into the future--one for which they had no frame of reference. Most expressed fear in losing what happiness they have always known under the King, who ruled under a Gross National Happiness Index rather than a Gross National Product indicator. How enlightened; what's more, it worked.

The visionary Bhutanese King believed his people were ready for the evolutionary move into democracy and wanted a peaceful transition, even if it meant a transient dip in the National Happiness Index. With the elections on Monday, he got his wish--although the inevitable fighting among parties had already commenced, much to the chagrin of the citizenry.

One young woman in blue jeans and sneakers was quoted as saying: "It frightens me. Democracy is just starting now. We can see the candidates fighting, and it's just the beginning." On 3-21-08, The Los Angeles Times said that the young electorate might like their fashion new and hip, but not their politics.

One wonders why China left these two monarchies alone when marching into Tibet in 1959. Could it be that Tibet just wore them out? Seems that it still is--except now, with a bad PR twist before the nation's coming out party at the Olympics in August. Tibet proves that freedom might stay hidden under a bushel basket for awhile, but coerced peace will not sustain itself--even if that is the wish of the beloved Dalai Lama.

Actually, the High Holy leader of the displaced Tibetan government is in a bit of an unexpected predicament. Youth, who had never known a free Tibet, apparently had enough and were responsible for the uprisings and demonstrations that rocked not only their country but China and India as well. The WSJ revealed: "A new generation of impatient activists is vying to seize control of the Tibetan Freedom Movement from the Dalai Lama." The beef here is the desire by His Holiness for Tibetan autonomy while the protesters want a nation free from Chinese rule. That's quite a gulf.

Characteristically, the Dalai Lama's provided a measured response to the youthful activists: "If you continue in violent uprising, I will step down." The Chinese did not wait to see if this lofty threat would have an impact and deployed mega-troops and armaments to squelch the unrest. Aides to the Dalai Lama acknowledged that "rising anti-Chinese passions are carrying many Tibetans away from positions their spiritual leaders have long advocated. Yet some of these officials see a silver lining. The protests could bring Beijing back to negotiations for Tibet's autonomy, after several rounds of talks failed" (WSJ, 3-20-08.)

With the impending Olympics, anything is possible. But the Chinese blamed His Holiness for the whole debacle; thus, rapprochement is unlikely. Having said that, just this morning, French President Sarkozy threatened to boycott the Olympic opening ceremonies and others might follow suit. Outside pressure may have an impact where the Dalai Lama apparently missed a beat. Could it be he lives in a vision of a peaceful future without taking into account the present cries of his people for freedom? Cries that will not be silenced under the proverbial bushel basket any longer?

As the dynamic stories of these three high-mountain nations unfold, we will watch and wait for we know that inevitably as day follows night, enlightenment follows crises. One thing is clear, the Himalayas are aflame. Whether the response is an eight-alarm house fire or a staid bonfire is up to its citizens.

Of Note: Marie's fiery sunsets continue to put the exclamation point on these blogs. She understood early on that the enlightenment we talk about has to do with light and fire. And no better place to find that combination than in a sunset.

Today's Weather Report: Well, this must be March because the duel between Winter and Spring is taking place with no end in sight. Today was cloudy, snowy, rainy and 38 degrees--though the winds from yesterday abated. More slushy snow is predicted in the next week.

Two Taboo Topics

Politics and religion are two topics never discussed in polite society, it is said. There is no better way to make enemies than to vehemently expound on one or both of these usually controversial subjects, especially in a group just trying to have fun. In this blog, I had not talked much about either because lighted trends are not indigenous to the way the populace as a whole generally handles itself politically or religiously. It seems that both COULD be enlightened but generally aren't at this time--with notable exceptions, like the Burmese Monks so often mentioned here. Could it be that lack of true leadership is one of the main components missing?

Having asked that question, three articles caught my eye in the past couple of days that may show a lighted change in the realm of political and religious leadership. In each case religious leaders stepped up to the political plate to promote freedom of the people and democracy, a role that could be fitting for them if handled well.

First, as reported by the United Press International today on its website, Archbishop Desmond Tutu arrived in Kenya to help broker a peace between rivaling factions following an allegedly flawed election in that previously quiet country:

"Archbishop Tutu began an attempt to restore calm to the African nation torn apart by post-election violence. Tutu, a Nobel Laureate heading up a delegation from the All Africa Conference of Churches, said he would meet with Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odina. . .Tutu said the group had hopes of reaching an acceptable agreement to save the country and its people."

The two vying Kenyan political leaders are from separate tribes, and the words between them have grown incendiary. There is fear that, without intervention in the current fledgling democracy, the prevailing peace between the 40 Kenyan tribes will fail, leading the country into civil war. Archbishop Tutu's role as an African religious leader could turn the tide in Kenya, and also set an example for other African religious leaders--whether they be Muslim, Christian or Jew--to lead the way to freedom for other beleaguered African nations.

Darfur is another example where African religious leadership could make a difference--most likely from a Muslim cleric of some kind. It is obvious that the political will is lacking to bring that sorry situation to an end. Thus, inspiration will have to come from another sector, and it might be time for religious leaders to step forward into that quagmire.

Second, the WSJ as a year end send-off entitled "Liberty Theology" opined that the Catholic Church is having a change of heart regarding its role in Latin America:

"Catholic Church bishops, priests and other Church leaders in Latin America were once a reliable ally of the left, owing to the influence of 'liberation theology,' which tries to link the Gospel to the socialist cause. Today the Church is coming to recognize the link between socialism and the loss of freedom, and a shift in thinking is taking place. In a region that is 90% Catholic, this change might have enormous implications. A Church that emphasizes liberty could play a role in Latin America similar to that which it played in Eastern Europe in the 1980's, as a counterweight in defense of freedom during a time of rising despotism. Fro proof of the change. . .consider the recent statement from the Catholic Bishops of Venezuela: It blasted the political agenda of President Hugo Chavez for its assault on liberty under the guise of helping the poor. It is morally unacceptable, the statement said, and will drive the country backward in terms of respect for human rights."

Bolivia has apparently also been under the gun of the Church in the form of its late Cardinal Castillo who said that the country was slipping toward dictatorship. Mind you, the Catholic Church is not put forward by me as THE answer--its own checkered past would preclude entirely trusting the Church's motives. However, motives aside, the trend is enlightening when religious leaders stand up for freedom, particularly in the face of adversity and death as in the Myanmar case.

Third, on a slightly different note, it is newsworthy that the people of Bhutan went to the polls Monday to elect a Parliament for the first time. I put this into the enlightened religious leader category because it was remarkably that their former monarch, the Dragon King and a religious leader in his own right, led the way forward without fight or friction. The WSJ reported this story as an op-ed entitled "Democracy in Shangri-La" January 2, 2008. The story is so compelling, I include it in its entirety:

"The citizens of the world's newest democracy went to the polls Monday to elect members of the upper house of Parliament. In coming months they will vote on a draft constitution that has been mailed to every household in the nation and choose representation for the lower house."

"Welcome to Bhutan, an isolated Himalayan Kingdom wedged between India and China and made famous for a national philosophy of 'gross domestic happiness.' Until recently, Bhutan has been an absolute monarchy, under the reign of King Jigme Singye Wangchuk, who ascended the throne in 1972 at the age of 16. The monarch's official title is Druk Gyalpo, or Dragon King, but His Majesty also deserves to go down in history as the country's George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson."

"In 1998, King Jigme Singye Wangchuk voluntarily reduced the scope of his powers. A few years later he decreed that Bhutan would become a constitutional monarchy and set out to educate his people on the virtues of democracy. He accomplished this task by personally presiding at informational meetings throughout the country and holding mock elections. In December 2006, after 34 years as sovereign, he abdicated, turning over his limited responsibilities to his Oxford-educated son."

"In drafting a constitution, the elder King ordered his legal experts to study the constitutions of all the world's greatest democracies. The final project opens with 'We the People' and speaks in the preamble of securing the 'blessings of liberty.' These words were originally penned by a group of men who gathered in Philadelphia in 1787. Their power has not diminished over the centuries. Today, the ideals that stand at the heart of the world's oldest democracy are understood anew by men and women led by an enlightened former monarch in Thimphu."

My hat goes off to Bhutan for continuing with its democracy dreams while many in the rest of the world spit on the word. Democracies have gotten somewhat of a bad name in the last several years under our current President who believes that this political form should be spread like evangelical religion rather than through a slow, steady process like Bhutan's. Study of this tiny country's experiment might prove illustrative to those interested in seeing how a true democracy is born.

And finally, here is enlightening news you can use that could make a difference in your waistline by this time next year. MEN'S HEALTH magazine website reports on nine "health foods" that are pulling your leg. David Zinczenko wrote in his book "Eat This Not That" that these hyped non-fat and/or low-calorie foods are anything but that. The nine offenders? Bran muffins, chicken Caesar salad, tuna melt, chicken wrap, turkey burger, fruit smoothies, granola bars, pastas salad, and yogurt with fruit on the bottom which each and every one containing hidden fats and sugars.