Buddhism has never been a religion (is it a religion?) about forcing someone to do things they do not want to do.
The restrictions of sales and use of cigarettes in Bhutan with its five year jail sentence is not only excessive it is counterproductive. The forming of a black market is an indication of how liberalism can go wrong. Moving to a democracy does not mean a better life. It is simply different. And different does not mean better though ‘better’ is what advocates of liberalism and democracy want you to believe.
Politics and government are not easy and lighthearted tasks. I still wish Bhutan good luck. But I also believe their move to democratic rule was wrong. Let’s just hope GNH will not turn into GNU (Gross National Unhappiness).
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