"I suppose what I haven't grasped yet, and may not without sufficient research, is how (beyond the obvious 'who we go to war with') our politics affect other countries (and why it's in their interest to be concerned/consider it newsworthy). "
It affects us in every way: "When America sneezes, Britain/Europe/the world catches a cold."
For an immediate example, there's the credit crunch: Your government deregulates banking; Your banks lend money to peopel who have little chance of repaying; the bubble bursts; US domestic banks stop lending to each other; OUr banks stop wanting to do busineess withteh affected US banks... and many of "our" banks are actually international banks with a large percentage US owenership, so are immediately caught up in it anyway; Consequently any of our banks which *aren't* largely US owned become sluggish and reticent about dong business with any that *are*... People find it harder to get mortgages,becaus eteh mortage companies are finding it harder to find the money to invest in mortgaged properties... Our businesses find it harder and harder to get credit anywhere, so become reluctant to invest in new or long-term projects... employment slows down... people start to get laid off...
And then there's the whole thing that, having been so closely associated with you for so long (because we went and mortgaged our country to you guys after WW2 wiped out our economy, and we're stilling paying it back), we're thought of on the same breath as you guys by any militant fundamentalist nutjob with a grudge against "the West" and a missile/plane/suicide bomber that can be aimed in that general direction...
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It affects us in every way: "When America sneezes, Britain/Europe/the world catches a cold."
For an immediate example, there's the credit crunch: Your government deregulates banking; Your banks lend money to peopel who have little chance of repaying; the bubble bursts; US domestic banks stop lending to each other; OUr banks stop wanting to do busineess withteh affected US banks... and many of "our" banks are actually international banks with a large percentage US owenership, so are immediately caught up in it anyway; Consequently any of our banks which *aren't* largely US owned become sluggish and reticent about dong business with any that *are*... People find it harder to get mortgages,becaus eteh mortage companies are finding it harder to find the money to invest in mortgaged properties... Our businesses find it harder and harder to get credit anywhere, so become reluctant to invest in new or long-term projects... employment slows down... people start to get laid off...
And then there's the whole thing that, having been so closely associated with you for so long (because we went and mortgaged our country to you guys after WW2 wiped out our economy, and we're stilling paying it back), we're thought of on the same breath as you guys by any militant fundamentalist nutjob with a grudge against "the West" and a missile/plane/suicide bomber that can be aimed in that general direction...
Yeah. We care what you guys do. Lots.