The prophecy of Mark Steyn

If there's one consolation to fighting off a Melbourne autumn storm to visit the doctor, it's the magazines in the waiting room. And tonight, Dr Ellen has some beauties. Try the Spectator 27 December 2003: Christmas has come twice for Mark Steyn whose cover story is about the latest triumph on the War on Terror – the capture of Saddam from his foxhole.

Here is hastily-scribbled five minute compendium of the Steyn stream-of-conscious:

The Insurgency
"...another six weeks of insurgency sounds about right, after which it will peter out, despite the urgings of Tariq Ali, George Galloway and other armchair insurgents."

Trickle-down destabilization
"It may be that the Iraq war has done more to free Zimbabwe of its thug ruler than all the Commonwealth resolutions put together. Imagine that! Look for a lot more trickle-down from Iraq the year ahead, in Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia and beyond."

Yep, the brilliant success of the Iraq invasion secured the overthrow of Robert Mugabe in 2004, democratic reforms in Syria and Saudi Arabia, plus a less belligerent attitude from Iran. Must have slept through those developments.

He did get some things right:
Osama bin Laden
"He will continue to be dead throughout 2004."

The Democratic party
"The only real question next November is how badly the Dems will do."

OK. So Nostradamus he aint. And Steyn should be read chiefly for his comic value, we knew that. It's just as well to remember that his best jokes are the unintended ones.