a) Part of this is just about time differences and news cycles. It's really only yesterday evening and this morning that the true scale of the event has made it into mainstream media. This is partly because, of course, the US government was downplaying it earlier.

b) There's not much for foreigners to do in this situation. When it's a "poor country" then the charity machine fires up and there are campaigns etc. But we have been told for the last N years that the USA is the richest, most successful, most efficient, most capable, most naturally talented country in the world. So, whilst we may feel sorrow and sympathy for people trapped in the Superdome, there's no campaign to raise money etc. Sorrow and sympathy are just feelings and words, especially in the hearts of normal people. If Malkin doesn't read many European blogs or talk to many normal Europeans, she's not likely to come into contact with those words and feelings.

c) British politicians are all on holiday, so they are not making much media noise at the moment. Lots of blogs and the like are talking about this, but that's not official the way a Tony Blair statement would be for people like Malkin.