What is Our Duty as Privileged?

This post stems from something I heard someone say (they will remain nameless) recently. It was in regard to the Haitian earthquake, and the like. My acquaintance was showing disdain for the fact that because this tragic and traumatic earthquake had hit the unfortunate, and often under-privileged people of Haiti, said people would need outside help and efforts from our own US Government would be used. This person was disappointed that time, and effort, and money would be used, by our government, in order to help the people of Haiti. He was disappointed that a people that don't care for government, or our style of life, or the type of civilization we live in, would now come crawling to us in their moment of need. That its their own dang fault for not reinforcing their buildings and homes properly in the first place. And now, the US government, already immersed in trillions of dollars of debt, and with military forces stretched thin all over the world, would now have to come in and help.
How incredibly ignorant is all this? I feel like it is, but at the same time, in a slight way, it isn't. My acquaintance at least makes a valid point, we have absolutely no obligation to help the Haitian people, it is technically not our problem. I don't think his anger or disdain is so much directed at the Haitian people, they are merely the individuals unfortunately planted into this situation. His frustration more comes with the situation and the expectation that the US Government needs to act, especially when we have our own, although relatively smaller, problems.
So I guess what I'm trying to get at is... as a privileged society, what is our duty to aid the rest of the less fortunate of the world? Obviously, first we have our own less fortunate, what about them? Where do they factor in? How do we help with natural disasters? What about other issues? The Bush administration was clearly more than willing to get us more involved in the rest of the world. What about Obama? There are so many questions, and so few concrete answers. I'm just naming a few.
The fact remains though. There are people out there that need the help of someone who can afford to help. Shouldn't we give it a try if we are capable? I'd say so, unless it greatly conflicts with our best interests. I think its fair to say helping repair after these natural disasters doesn't create a major issue in a conflict of interest. So we should do it. Not to spread the merits of democracy, not because we will expect something in return, not because its a way to show our influence over the world. We should do it because its right, and we are a good people typically, and our government is meant to be a representation of us. So they should mimic us. No? Any thoughts?