This is More Like It
Since I blasted him the other day, let me take a second to applaud the president for now making a serious commitment to aiding tsunami victims. And putting Presidents Bush Sr. and Big Dog on point is exactly the sort of symbolic "gesture" that I said was so important (especially compared to clearing brush).
On the micro level, I like to think what a small contribution from every person can do. If every adult American kicked in $10, we'd scrounge up collectively more than a billion dollars. I can do $10. I bet you can too (and Sandra Bullock's covered more than a few people's share). Search the couch cushions, roll some change. We could be looking at a defining moment in international relations, and hopefully a model of a more compassionate, interconnected world. If that's something we can realize after the shock and awe of nature's amoral fury, then we can take some solace in tragedy.