The disaster created by John Howard continues unabated. Of course he is riding high on the approval ratings because of the great uncertainty in the world. Terrorist attacks, which have been occurring on a regular basis all around the world for the past forty years or so didn't seem to matter much to the average Aussie until the New York tragedy last year and the Bali bombing.

Now the media and the government have got the Australian population running around like headless chooks, fearful that every shopping bag contains a bomb and every Muslim woman in a burqah (robe) is concealing half a ton of gelignite.

Howard, who is now regarded by a substantial proportion of the media as possessing messianic powers, is telling everybody of having barbarians at the gates, a scared populace and his own ascendancy to the role of divine saviour is guaranteed to keep him in power for ever.

All he has to do is keep the fear going — an easy task, given the enthusiasm of the terrorists, the media beat-ups and the unprincipled ethos of his government.

Howard with this strategy for power is doing untold damage to Australia, both in its image overseas and more importantly to the nation's soul. He is not racist, but as ABC radio commentator Philip Adams rightly puts it he is evenworse. He is happy to use xenophobia, bigotry and fear for his own political advantage.

Let's remember how he did not slam down Pauline Hanson when she uttered the nonsense about Asians overtaking Australia by raising the 'free speech' issue. How he did not immediately ridiculed the proposal by a conservative politician to ban the burqah because they may conceal bombs. But what really took the cake were the comments of pre-emptive strikes in neighbouring countries.

Either Howard is a fool and does not understand how his utterances are damaging our country, or (and this is much more likely) they are calculated so he can be seen as our great protector against those "hordes" beyond the Timor Sea.

He still believes in an Australia of the 1950's where migrants were expected to assimilate to the 'Australian way of life', be grateful and shut up. An Australia where Don Bradman was the leading light of the true Aussie bloke. An Australia secure in its beliefs that, despite the fact other cultures were 'interesting', deep down nothing could be superior to those created by those with Anglo-Saxons heritage. A world where only the USA and Britain really mattered and we dealt with Asia because it was between Australia and Britain or it could buy our produce.

Howard is also the master of wedge politics. It worked a treat with Tampa completely out-manoeuvring the Labor Party which was left pathetically supporting the coalition thus alienating many of its supporters (who defected to the Green Party who was the only party not pandering to xenophobic feelings).

Poor Australia. I was so proud to have become a citizen of this country. It could have been a multicultural republic respected and well thought of in the Asia-pacific region, tolerant and forward-looking.

Howard has turned into a fearful, inward-looking country, unnecessarily targeted by crazy terrorists. Still seeking approval and protection from the 'daddy USA and 'mummy' UK, and shunned by its neighbours.