After reading the various comments expressed in "Katrina Shakes Global Faith in U.S.," I'd like to offer a simple suggestion.

In my view, most of these observations are wildly exaggerated and often hilariously (or charmingly) misinformed. But never mind that. Let's assume instead that observations such as the following ones are factual and accurate:

"lack of preparedness"
"how a country so mighty could have fallen so far"
"Bush administration's failure to respond adequately"
"Can such a powerful nation be so vulnerable?"
"Bush administration...treating its own citizens like terrorists"
"The response from American leaders seemed to lack political intelligence and sympathy"
"Africans and those of African descent around the world should not put much faith in the United States"

Therefore, the next time that a natural disaster like a raging tsunami, a vicious earthquake, torrential floods, unrelenting drought, or the outbreak of an infectious disease strikes a country in Africa, Asia, or Latin America, let journalists and policy-makers in those countries recall the selective quotations that I have cited above.
With them in mind, prudent and sensible leaders next time will thus know better than to make an appeal to the United States for assistance.