I dislike making predictions, because I believe the very making of predictions tends to solidify currently discernable trends and perpetuate a fatalistic acceptance of them.

So rather than predict where we will be, I will only say where we might be if we don't do something about it.

In 2010, we might be bang in the middle of WWIII - and I'm not talking about figuarative wars, but the real thing. And it might be the case that in that year your children and my children are getting swallowed up into the great military leviathan up by Selective Service, and spat out upon numerous global shores to face their violent deaths.

Bush has brought the world to the precipice of global conflict. He has accelerated the quest for nuclear weapons, intensified the global competition for dwindling resources, increased tensions in just about every US relationship, fostered global political fragmentation and rivalry, spread disinformation, encouraged religious fundamentalism, heightened ideological divisions and spread a poisonous cloud of fanaticism and fear across the country. And on his way out, he may succeed in throwing the final switches that will bring these trends to their hideous final conclusion. The post-Bush era is not here yet. And by the time it gets here it might be too late - if we don't wake up.

What are all those ships doing in the Persian Gulf?

This series goes moves quickly from the improbable to the ludicrous.

If Iran used a nuclear weapon on Israel out of the blue, we would certainly would respond very aggressively. And not just us, but the Europeans as well. The Russians and Chinese would fiercely condemn a vile and unprovoked assualt with nuclear weapons, an action which is at least as contrary to their interests as ours, and at the very least would not stand in the way of retaliation. They would probably pitch in in some way, and then negotiate with us over how best to divide up the oily sandbox where Iran used to be.

K J LIberal has the right perspective (pun intended). Think of it as a ball game. Josh and most of the others appear to have started this discussion thinking that we're just wrapping up the bottom of the 9th inning and Democrats have put the game away. I don't think we've even got to the 7th inning stretch.

Yes, we have done a good thing in this past year, makes me proud to be a Liberal. Yes, many former supporters are disappointed in Bush & Co. No, that does not mean it's over.

The underpinnings of movement conservatism are still strong, still in place, still swimming in money, still powerfully motivated, still dominant and still very well represented in government at all levels. There is a long struggle ahead of us.

The post-Bush era is not here yet.

Absolutely correct. There is no end of damage that this demented power-freak can cause in the next two years. I wouldn't put it past him to go to war with Iran over an explicit refusal by Congress.