The Americans are finally pulling out of Iraq. I can’t say that I blame them: like many people I opposed the war from the start, and it has been one huge disaster after another. Although Husain has been deposed an indeed executed, he fact is none of his wmd were ever found, no was anything linking him to al Qa’ida. It’s hard to think that those 4500 American troops and 100000+ Iraqi civilians died for much good; indeed, the world feels much less safe than it did ten years ago.

For the old certainties are no longer there. Where ten years ago, the economy was booming, we are now in a depression in all but name; where America was all-powerful, it’s empire and its influence is now crumbling; where ten years ago the UK was led by people of learning of honour, we now have a government of lying, selfish twats wrecking the economy, the wealth fare state and our relationship with Europe. As I wrote here, the last ten years have treated me well, but the world at large has been less fortunate. It has changed, taken a turn for the worse, and, looking out of my office window onto a cold, wintry London, I fear there is now yet worse to come. Given that the last ten years have seen ten years of constant conflict in iraq and Afghanistan, a severe economic downturn and now the likely break-up of the European Union, I must admit it’s hard to stop the Armageddon scenarios running through my brain. And the worst thing is, now we’re outside of europe, there is little we brits can do about it.