If you don't normally read The New York Times, you might want to take a look at today's edition. There's a full 2-page obituary of Arafat; it also serves as a good summary of the history of the PLO. I know there's been a little LJ dialogue on Arafat so far, but I haven't had a chance yet to really follow the debate closely. I do wonder, though, the extent to which one's national origin is going to colour opinion. If the conversation is going to continue, perhaps I can join in this weekend, or on Monday. I do think fandom is wonderful, but sometimes, whether we like it or not, world events simply trump everything else. (Just a personal opinion here; feel free to agree or disagree as you choose.)
On another topic, for some reason, some of my comments have been posting twice. I have no idea why that's happening.