So, another year over with. Many people will undoubtedly be glad to see the demise of 2004 and all its problems, ending as it did on such a low note with the disastrous Asian tsunami. Iraq, now a "democratic state", according to the American government, is still in turmoil, with American and British troops maintaining a steady flow of homeward bound body bags. Notwithstanding the democratic election sponsored by the Bush political dream world , there is still a lot of work is needed before Iraq can support its own weight and until that time, our servicemen are still at risk. Thankfully though, George W Bush doesn't seem too concerned. After winning a second term in office (this time through stupidity, fear mongering and misguided religious nationalism rather than outright deception), his inauguration ceremony, on the 22nd January, was watched over by thousands of Secret Service agents, snipers, police, and even a military helicopter patrolling the skies overhead. If that didn't help the 50,000 onlookers realise that they were in a state of war, the President's inaugural speech made sure they didn't miss the message. Full of references to God, and with the word "freedom" used no less than 27 times, it defied the critics who claimed that the President's second term would be less combative. Condoleezza Rice referred to Iran as "an outpost of tyranny". Anyone who was hoping for a softer four years during Bush's second term will be bitterly disappointed, especially as Dick Cheney continues to pressure Iran regarding its nuclear ambitions. President Bush has already refused to rule out taking military action against the country - and we already know that not having WMDs is no excuse to call off military action.

Almost four times the size of Iraq, an invasion of Iran would present a massive strategic problem for the US military who are already struggling to contain pockets of resistance within Iraq. If Mr. Bush does decide to go ahead with another war, then America will soon find that its armed forces are stretched to the limit. If conflict is necessary, conscription will almost certainly be reintroduced. Hardly a massive step forward in word peace.

However, even if America wakes up to this and decides not to invade, Israel may have plans of its own. Being so close to Iran, and with the threat of terrorist atrocities creating a state of extreme paranoia within the country, Israel may choose to make a strike of their own.
What both leaders seem to be forgetting is that a war with Iran would be disastrous, not only for the inevitable deaths of more people on both sides, but because it might well trigger off a worldwide religious war between the East and West. Iran, unlike Iraq, at least has the facade of a respectable government behind it, and an invasion would not only be impossible for the US to manage, but would incite the anger of the entire Arab world, and take the "war on terror" to new heights.

In truth, "War on Terror" is a strange phrase for America to be using. Terror, rather than an action, is an emotion, and besides the obvious idiocy of declaring war on an emotion, it is an emotion that the US has done more to spread than any other nation on earth. It is the fear of terrorist acts, rather than the acts themselves, that are causing the disturbing trend of the West to start nonchalantly flinging aside the civil liberties which it apparently holds so dear - and that fear, like all other recent fears, is spread by the Government and media of the world's most powerful nations. Bored of our comfortable, middle-class lives, we are now bombarded with messages telling us to be afraid - of terrorism, of death, of Arabs, of our health, of the food we eat, of invisible rays in the air, of each other. Such messages only serve to strengthen the position of the current administration. By declaring war on terror, America has declared war on itself. If a "terrorist" is defined as one who spreads fear and terror throughout the population, then President Bush is a much bigger terrorist than Osama bin Laden ever was. A true war on terror would be about ending government-sponsored fear of all kinds, rather than just blowing up a few Middle Eastern countries in a lame attempt to preach the American way of life.

Sadly, this fact seems to be lost on President Bush, as well as Tony Blair, who slavishly follows his every move, hoping for some kind of moral or political platform upon which to preach his endless spin. If these two brothers-in-arms wish to take us into World War III, then who are we "little people" to stop them? Unless of course you respect the idea of "democracy", which is apparently what the war was all about...

Wishing you a happy if not worthwhile 2005.