In his inauguration speech in Washington on Jan 20, re-elected US President George W Bush pledged to spread liberty and freedom '... to the darkest corners of the world'.

Bush declared that '... All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know that the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you'.

Reading in between the lines, I could take it to mean that the US still wants to fight.

In the bipolar days when the US had only the Soviet Union to contend to, the world was a safer place. Now that it is the world's only power, the US believes it can do what it want without any need to think of repercussions.

Those who stood in its way, including some allies like France and Germany, have been branded as 'old Europe'.

Bush wants to get rid of evil governments including his axis of evil (Iraq, Iran and North Korea). But now his Secretary of States Condoleeza Rice has added several other countries to the list including axis Zimbabwe and Burma.

On the other hand, Osama bin Laden also wants to get rid the world of evil governments - in his case the Western democracies.

The saga of the human race is the same now as it was 20,000 years ago. We clubbed each other to death in the caves then, now death is via bullets and bombs. The US dropped more than 5,000 bombs in Iraq leaving thousands dead. On the other hand, there are the radical suicide bombers who blow themselves up taking hundreds of innocent bystanders with them.

Both describe the human casualties and suffering which are collateral damage of the war game.

The clash of civilisations has started between the Western democracy and religious fundamentalism with each contending that their way is the better way. Each believing they are doing the right thing. Each believing that theirs is a better path.

When will this madness stop?