'Your Last Car Wasn't Made In Haiti'

A small and decidedly unscientific survey that I have taken in recent days reveals that people's reactions -- emotionally and otherwise -- to the earthquake in Japan is substantially greater than the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

At the risk of being smart allecky, the reason is simple: Your last car wasn't made in Haiti.

While Japan has had its share of natural disasters, Haiti is synonymous with them, its people poster children for the ravages of third-world life, whereas the Japanese are prosperous, orderly, make a lot of quality stuff that has made our lives more enjoyable even if they probably don't need relief money.