Yassar Arafat is dead. This is a tragedy only for his immediate family. For the Palestinians, trapped in a prison of hatred and poverty, this is good news. Arafat was the leading terrorist of the second half of the 20th century and the major obstacle to peace with Israel. He missed every opportunity offered to create an independent Palestine.

The 2004 election is over. As pundits reflect, candidates relax and a weary electorate wonders who will leave the island on “Survivor”, it is a good moment to consider what the results mean.

As I ponder the paucity of intellectual rigor in the public square and the manifold degrees of separation between media reality and the unvarnished truth, I come to a startling conclusion.

In the old Hippocratic Oath, one of the key lines is, “First, do no harm.” As a thoughtful voter, it is increasingly difficult to get excited about the B-grade drama being played out on all levels.

The current election season is in full swing and the “spin doctors” are hard at work explaining the explanations of their candidates.