"And incidentally: American didn't "earn" good will on 9/11 any more than we "earned" the attacks that inspired it. What we received was sympathy. It was a gift of civilized people everywhere. That a columnist of Krauthammer's stature can even think that sympathy in the face of tragedy and horror is somehow "earned" by the recipient points out a deeply flawed understanding of human relationships. Wages are earned; gifts are given. Recipients, if they have any sensitivity to the dynamics of emotional sharing, accept gifts with grace and say thank you. They don't say, "Where's the rest of it?" or "That's not enough." "

There is a difference between accidents and acts committed by humans.
It's not enough that the police simply offer their sympathy for a crime committed against them. What victims want [and have a right to demand] is a resolution to the problem they are presented with- namely that some form of violence was inficted upon them [whether directly or through their loved ones] by somebody. An accident is different, trying to find someone to blame for an accident is a distraction (and irrational)- the only rational response anyone can offer is sympathy and comfort. [Of course, in the world ruled by trial lawyers, there apparently is no such thing as an accident- some entity with enough money can be found to have responsiblity for anything which can happen.]