People use their hands to dig a stranger out of debris. More than that, even rivals help each other. In a recent earthquake in Turkey, even Greece, a long-time rival, sent rescuers and supplies. Helping other in times of crisis is not just an American tradition, it is engrained in humanity. Just as war destroys communities, cooperation builds communities.
Cooperation builds civilization.
A crisis in another country takes on the immediacy of a local problem. These actions help to build a world-wide community. Y2K is similar. There is no effective centralized process. News about Y2K flashes through the Internet in minutes, scooping broadcasters and the press.