Bhtuan's Quadrilemma: To Join or Not to Join the WTO, that is the Question

This paper argues that any discussion of theoperationalization of Gross National Happiness (GNH) inBhutan within an immediate or intermediate time-frame mustaccount for the fact that operationalization implies theadoption of long-range policy objectives and immediate orintermediate policy decisions, made in real time, that aim atreaching those objectives. The discussion of anyoperationalizaton of GNH, therefore, cannot fruitfully takeplace in abstracto, because that implies a lack of seriousnessin raising the subject in the first place. The paper seeks tooutline, only briefly and suggestively, a framework withinwhich discussion of the operationalization of GNH may takeplace, focusing on the question of Bhutan’s possible entryinto the World Trade Organization (WTO). It concludes that adecision to operationalize GNH in Bhutan carries with itcertain consequences that can be defined within the structureof the problem of choice, and that structure can best beconsidered as a quadrilemma. The potential consequences ofchoice must be taken into account in choosing for anyparticular set of policy directions and the potential cost mustbe accepted as part of the solution of the problem thequadrilemma suggests.