So the total American response is much larger than the government-to-government aid suggests.
Much more aid, suggests Collier, should be in non-cash form: in peacekeeping, security guarantees, trade privileges, governance.
But the fact that Chevron solicited Mastro's aid suggested that the company was anxious about its prospects in the case.
And even with the American flight — the first of three that the Myanmar government has approved — President Bush said that the slow flow of aid suggested that the generals in charge were either "isolated or callous".
Still, even talk of imposing conditions on aid suggests a shift in attitudes for South Koreans, who have long viewed the North as a proud but poor cousin that should be tolerated and led toward eventually peaceful reunification.
Given America's general stinginess when it comes to foreign aid, their concern is understandable.Mr Bush was right to point out that alleviating poverty takes more than aid aloneMore broadly, the academic research on the effectiveness of aid suggests that the emphasis should be on choosing the right countries and programmes, rather than on quantity.
The Old Guard has also managed to add a $5 billion "permanent disaster" program (excuse me, but isn't a permanent disaster a contradiction in terms?) to help farmers in the High Plains struggling to grow crops in a drought-prone region that, as the chronic need for disaster aid suggests, might not be the best place to grow crops.
But those opposed to closer relations say the president's inaction in the days after the storm, including an initial rejection of foreign aid, suggests that he is increasingly beholden to Beijing, a charge he and his political allies say is absurd.
Giving more aid to these failed states will not make the world a safer place.More broadly, the academic research on the effectiveness of aid suggests that the emphasis should be on choosing the right countries and programmes, rather than on quantity.
But coming ahead of the centennial celebrations for Kim Il Sung, his grandfather, the agreements on food aid suggest that Kim Jong Un may be more sensitive to North Koreans' hunger and resentment though admittedly it would be hard to be less sensitive than his father.Hawks in Washington and Seoul insist there is nothing in the agreement to commit North Korea to scrapping its nuclear arsenal.
