TRUMP TRAUMA

Pollsters, pundits, politicians, and even the President have been commanding us on the losing side to accept the result, get behind the winner, support Trump as the rightfully elected new “leader of the free world” (gag!).  Their hastily revised message that the law has been followed, the people have spoken, and this is the way it’s always been done – as messy and maddening as it may be – does not at all console me. 

It is as if they are saying, this is democracy at its finest.  Well, I call bullshit, this is a massive failure of democracy.  The US has become a demagoguery!  The system has allowed the election of a hate-spewing, fear-mongering, bigoted, racist, misogynistic, egomaniac with no political experience whatsoever as POTUS. Trump has never had to compromise in a corporate position, either, running his real-estate empire by dictatorial whim.  Will he govern by late-night tweet?  God help us!

Actually, this was exactly why the Electoral College was formed in the first place (in 1787), to protect the fledgling US of A from undue influence by its uninformed, biased, self-interested burghers:

"A small number of persons, selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass, will be most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to such complicated [tasks]… the people trusted (them) to cast a responsible vote for president.” Alexander Hamilton declared that the selection of the president should be “made by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station.”  (from Wikipedia)

But it long ago became a puppet organization that just mucks up an already uber-cumbersome process.  And today’s EC, with its current winner-take-all policy, has failed us once again; the lackey electors can no longer exercise discernment or responsibility or analytical skills and in effect negate all those votes in their state’s minority.  The federal institution intended to ensure competency in the highest office in the land is basically now controlled by the lowest common denominator of the public: angst.  

Each time I have to explain the Electoral College to the Swiss, who enjoy the most direct democracy in the world, it is painfully clear that it should be dismantled posthaste, but with its Constitutional coat of armor, nobody has had the guts to even attempt to attack a rewrite. 

 

This is by far the most grievous aspect of the 2016 election: Hillary actually won the popular vote!  She received over 3 MILLION votes more, 47.8% to his 47.3%.  And of course she was the infinitely more capable candidate.  If ever personal foibles should have been forgiven and professional aptitude preferred, this was it.  Why can’t Americans be more French and give a laissez-faire shrug to the petty as long as policy is thoughtful?  What difference does it make from whom the head of state is getting head as long as (s)he has the people’s best interests at heart?  Server, schmerver.

Hillz and I share not only a gender but also an alma mater, and I was especially stoked at the idea of a fellow Wellesley alum becoming the first woman prez. And so while I’m ranting, I have to ask: Hey, my smart, savvy, educated, Caucasian sistas – WTF?!?! Tell me these exit poll stats ain’t true! 

·      53% of white women voted for Donald Trump

·      42% of all female voters chose the Republican

·      45% of college-educated white women also voted for him

DJT has gotten away with outlandish, unfounded, malicious claims based purely on his personal feelings towards not just HRC but every minority group.  He polluted the political atmosphere with libelous and scandalous remarks that incited animosity and malice.  We have deviated from the HOPEfulness and positivity (Yes, We Can!) of the Obama era and are to be led for four long years by a deviant whose followers find today’s racially, ethnically, culturally diverse landscape anathema.  The thought of gay marriage, transgender strides, gun control, a mosque in their neighborhood scares the bejesus out of them. 

The hate-induced incidents of blatant discrimination that have been horrifying us since Tuesday are indicative of the country’s current mood and, there’s good reason to expect, harbingers of what is to come. The perps are taking their cue from the top down, from a top dog whose vitriolic bark has penetrated the national consciousness and incited rabid resentment.  And I fear that the leash our system of checks and balances is supposed to provide will not be strong enough to keep the snarling hound from wreaking massive injury to civil liberties across the land.

The international high school students whom I advise here in Zurich are not sure if they want to go to college in the US any more.  Muslim friends in NY are seriously inquiring about the possibility of moving to Switzerland.  Colleagues of color are revising business plans in response to Trump’s xenophobia.  I am grateful that my family in the States, in particular my college-age son and niece on urban campuses, are lily-white Christians (and how dispiriting that such a thought even crossed my mind) – they just need to be sure to keep their ACLU cards firmly in their pockets.  

So it’s a tragic time in America, and those of us who want our government to be inclusive, compassionate, progressive, cooperative, tolerant should be allowed to wallow in our grief.  We need time to process what we truly believed was an inconceivable and preposterous scenario: President Trump. 

I may have emigrated 30 years ago, and even officially (and very reluctantly, thanks a lot, Uncle Sam) relinquished my US citizenship 5 years ago, but I will always be an American at heart – and this heart is in agony. 

Always plenty

At an elevation of over 2200 meters (7300 feet) and surrounded by Himalayan peaks up to 5500 m (18,000 ft), Paro International Airport is considered one of the world’s most challenging. Landing here is only allowed during the day and under good visual conditions.  Just a few skilled pilots from Drukair, the national airline, are permitted to attempt the feat, skillfully navigating the mountains and then dropping down quickly onto the small airfield.  OMG, is that Everest out the window?! 

Landing in Paro

 

Breathtaking Bhutan

If you know anything about Bhutan, a teeny speck of a country squished in between the superpowers of India and China, it’s probably the country’s reputation as the “happiest place on earth” and the “Kingdom of Happiness.” 

I can vouch that the Bhutanese are indeed a wonderfully pleasant folk to be amongst, although – and I don’t mean to quibble here – “happy” is really too Western in its connotation.  Perhaps the better description is serene, or content, equanimous, tranquil, compassionate. The pacifist tenets of Buddhism, the state religion, permeate everyday life here.  A definite annatā (selflessness) is palpable and the culture simply oozes spirituality.  The landscape is dotted with dzongs, the massive, majestic monasteries; festooned with prayer flags crisscrossing the countryside; peppered with prayer wheels, and studded with stupas.  I found the setting very soothing and at this altitude, combined with the exertion of our daily hikes, it figuratively and literally took my breath away.  

 

Apart from their faith, what makes the Bhutanese so “happy”?

Thanks to its remoteness and inaccessibility, the country was until recently effectively cut off from the rest of the world.  But it was this isolation that enabled the country to preserve its identity and keep most of its religious and customs intact, and it is their unique culture that leads to a certain peace of mind.

Of course it is tempting to romanticize such a world.  Those of us fed up with our society’s extreme consumerism and egocentrism are easily enamored with Bhutan’s simpler, easier lifestyle: the unhurried pace of BST (Bhutan Stretchable Time), the traditional architecture and dress (especially the men in ghos and kneesocks), the daily visits to temples and recitation of prayers, the revered monks and nuns in their rich red robes. There are no stoplights in the entire country (nope, not a single one).  The national dish is a comforting concoction of chili and cheese.  The national pastime is archery, a sport that requires slow precision.  Even the lousy roads are a forgivable part of the infatuation. 

It is true that the fourth Bhutanese king introduced the concept of Gross National Happiness as opposed to Gross National Product as an indicator of the population’s general wellbeing in 1972.  The government does actually measure GNH using a metric based on a comprehensive survey administered to a broad sampling of its citizens every two years.  GNH rests on four pillars: good governance, the natural environment, sustainable growth, and cultural values. 

Questions on the 38-page English-language document include:

·      How many people are very close to you that you can count on them if you have emotional problems?

·      How often do you practice meditation?

·      Have you been able to concentrate on what you’re doing?

·      Have you lost much sleep over worry?

·      Do you feel capable of making decisions about things?

·      Do you ever think of yourself as a worthless person?

·      How anxious are you about old-age abandonment?

·      How long would it take you to walk to the nearest healthcare center?

·      Historical literacy: How well do you know local legends and folktales? Names of the 5 kings? Traditional songs?

·      How good is your ecological literacy (names of plants and wild animals in your area)?

·      What indigenous skills (weaving, embroidery, papermaking, carving, etc) do you have?

·      How important is the Bhutanese code of etiquette and conduct?

·      Do you have a balanced use of time?

·      How strong is your sense of belonging to your local community?

·      How many yak do you own?

·      How much do you trust your neighbors?

·      How safe do you feel when walking alone after dark from ghosts and spirits?

·      Ecological resilience: Did soil erosion or landslide significantly affect your property in past 12 months?

·      How do you mostly dispose of household waste?

·      What kind of toilet facility does your household use?  

Such is the importance placed on tourism these days that our guide Tashi could call the government office and pass on our request for a talk with the “minister of happiness” (whose official title is Chief Program Coordinator in the Development Cooperation Division).  The very next night, Rinchen came to our hotel with his PowerPoint presentation and cheerful confidence in the federal efforts to ensure  psychological and physical wellbeing.

An endearing, personable individual, he handed out his business card to each in the group and encouraged us to contact him with any questions we might have on the topic.  He then stayed on for dinner and photo opportunities and a glass of ara, and even gave me his commemorative royal pin. 

Rinchen and me

But can nirvana be calculated?  It is undoubtedly a lovely concept, and while the government seems sincere in its concern for the welfare of its people, such a holistic measurement is entirely subjective.  So? What’s wrong with that? Pessimistic critics claim that “happiness” can be defined as the politicians see fit, and the criteria can even be manipulated to suit their needs.  They say that GNH emphasizes spiritual and karmic factors over material and economic, that it is unscientific and lacks mathematical precision.  

Well, I say phooey! to the bah-humbug types at the OECD.  Perhaps GNH is exactly what should be foremost in driving development.