So I've been wondering- at what point does all of this aid flowing to southern Asia hit the point of diminshing returns? Are we providing the equivalent of subsidized Hurricane insurance that's going to cause these countries to build up the same coastlines that just got pulverized and kill another generation in 20 years? At what point is there just too much money flowing in? If we wind up donating say, a year's income per survivor reciving aid, we're going to distort these economies and create a cargo cult.
In addition, clearly the more money flowing in, the more that's going to stick to the fingers of corrupt officials and worthless NGOs (like, for example, the UN .)
I don't think that these are the kinds of questions that can be answered in advance, but I hope that the money flows will be closely monitored. Donald Sensing has advice on actual goods you can send, instead of money, as well as links to a Fed Ex offer to pick up and deliver goods to Tsunami victims free of charge.