Wind of change?

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I feel nothing but tremendous sympathy for the people who have lost loved ones or have been made homeless by this terrible tragedy. Nevertheless, I cannot help but reflect on the irony that the United States has asked Europe for aid, albeit belatedly. Normally, of course, it is America who provides aid in the case of disasters elsewhere in the world, the main difference being that there are often strings attached, especially in the case of Africa, where democracy is often cited as a pre-condition for aid or debt relief. This is often justified by the claim that famine (say) as the result of a dictatorial regime is, in some way, self-inflicted.

This leads me to wonder, without seriousness of course - purely as a thought experiment - what requirements Europe could demand of the United States, before its request be fulfilled. After all, since the 2000 presidential election, American democracy has seemed to be in pretty short supply. Of more relevance here, though, is the Bush administration's stance on global warming and it surely cannot have escaped their attention that increased hurricane activity may, at least partly, be a direct result of their lack of movement in this area. Perhaps now would be a fitting time to suggest that a signature be added to the Kyoto protocol.