re: quotes
First, I did not use the direct quote from the Donne devotion. Just an altered ripoff of it, implying that what happens somewhere else could affect us as well. If I had really been trying to be cute, I could have worked "no man is an island" into the tsunami theme, too.
Second, I think you're not clear on the meaning of the term "buttmonkey." Closest synonyms would be "bootlicker" or "sycophant," neither of which has anything to do with the virtues of caring for your fellow man.