Barry Rosenberg

I’m writing this about the head of state of the second-most beautiful country I have ever set foot upon. (We being number one, of course.)

This man calls himself that country’s king, but in every sense of the word, is a dictator.

Though his country has an elected legislature, the dictator/king seemingly has absolute power in ascribing laws and national policy and making certain they’re followed to the letter.

His power is such, no one would dare even whisper otherwise.

I adore this chap and consider him the most enlightened and wonderful national leader in the world today.

I’m speaking, of course, of Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the sixth and present king of Bhutan.

Wait: who? Where? You mean you never heard of Jigme or the country atop every serious traveller’s bucket list?

The truth is, you cannot turn a corner in Bhutan without encountering a scene that screeches your breath to a halt. Shangri-La? Indeed. There are, however, a host of no-no’s:

Bhutan’s laws (= the dictator/king’s edicts) decree no mining of their abundant underground minerals. No fracking. No drilling for oil. “Don’t be greedy”, he has admonished his constituents. “These valuable minerals are to remain preserved for the benefit of your grandchildren’s grandchildren.”

Same with deforestation. The Bhutanese constitution, which Jigme has sponsored, ensures a minimum 60 percent of the land to be covered in forests; presently there’s over 70.

No chemical spraying. (Bhutan claims to presently be 99 percent organic.) No fast-food chains permitted. No climbing, or even setting foot upon, their eye-boggling Himalayan mountains. (They’re considered sacred). No buildings over four storeys (and all must conform to traditional architecture). No advertising billboards. No gender discrimination in the government and private workplace.

Plus education in this not-at-all well-to-do land is completely free to the highest level for all, as is health care.

Should local universities not measure up to your innate abilities, the guv’ll ship you (and foot the full tab) to one which does overseas.

And, if local medical facilities can’t fix you, they’ll pay to send you to a hospital in neighbouring India.

I have met this man face to face. Praised him for his humanity and good sense. I did not bow, rather extended my hand.

The dictator/king did not accept it; instead he reached out both his arms and gave me a monstrous bear hug.

Now, compare such head-of-state humanity with that of the number one most beautiful country I have ever set foot upon.

Our three-headed clown show is currently in the process of creating deep and unseemly punctures throughout our magnificent landscape in order to gobble up underground goodies, as well as drilling offshore for fossil fuels (actually, a politically appropriate move for this trio of fossils).

The only humanity the clowns display is for the one percent whose pockets are being filled.

Often I think: wouldn’t it be great if we had a leader like Jigme, with compassion and understanding that the environment here is to be revered and preserved for those generations to follow.

Hang on, I recall that we recently had one-such. Loved, she was, and respected by the entire world. Well, not the entire world. See, there’s this one place…

“She’s crimping our freedom!” cried the residents of the country with arguably the most freedom on earth.

One-eyed and easily swayed, they ran her out of office, out of the country completely and off to a land which is currently suffering a horrendous curtailment of freedom, and where she is looked upon in the highest regard for her stand on compassionate politics.