When the earth shakes, the world's media trembles with anticipation. Although earthquakes are random acts of nature and unevenly distributed, news consumers everywhere can instantly empathize with the shock, grief and loss when the very earth underfoot unexpectedly sways or gives way.

Although earthquakes are natural tectonic adjustments, they produce devastation and human tragedy comparable to war. While wars are wholly man-made and a reflection of the foibles and follies of humankind, earthquakes cannot rightfully be blamed on people, though the desire to find fault in the aftermath of a tremblor is potent.

I remember walking through the ruins of Kobe in January 1995, when homeless citizens clustered around bonfires to keep warm and lined up to get drinking water and hot noodles. There was palpable anger at the Japanese authorities for not saving this or that location, for allowing fires to burn, for allegedly favoring rich areas and ignoring the poor. While Japan's response did not meet the high expectations residents had of their "anzen kuni" or "land of safety," much of the criticism was emotional rather than rational.