Some predictions

OK, now that I am somewhat less upset about the enormous stupidity of large portions of the American population, and settled in instead to just being mad and analytical at the same time, I have a few predictions for the second term of the Bush Regime:

We've lost over one thousand troops in Iraq so far, but before we finally pull out, we will have lost a total of at least 3500 soldiers. In addition, there will be several hundred dead civilian Western hostages. We'll pull out, and Iraq will have a civil war anyway.

Oil prices will go to $75 a gallon at some point, when the markets fear that we'll attack Iran for no damn reason, and while Iraq is in the middle of aforementioned civil war. Gas will reach $3.00 a gallon. Sales of conventional SUVs will collapse and at least one major automaker will suffer truly incredible losses and layoffs as a result, most likely Ford or Chrysler.

Bush and his cronies will continue to restrict the travel and civil liberties of Americans, though they will seek ways to increasingly have private companies violate your rights in ways that the government can't do directly.

The Republicans will lose one of the houses of Congress in the 2006 midterm election.

Budget deficits will continue to climb and there will at some point be a debt crisis because Congress will balk at raising the debt ceiling to fund the aforementioned war in Iraq and later operations toward Iran. Bush, knowing that his "legacy" is tied to foreign policy and not mop-up domestic problems, will not take suitable action. That will lead to the aforementioned loss of one side of Congress.

Rehnquist will retire soon, and there will be some talk about elevating Scalia to the Chief seat on the Supreme Court. A deceptively-moderate justice will be appointed and confirmed who will turn out to be as bad as Scalia and Thomas. The court will hear, and possibly agree with, cases that seek to recriminalize abortion.

You Republicans... think I'm being too pessimistic? Hey, you voted for that ape, you deserve what you get. Unfortunately, we all "get" it.