That is actually 6.3 BILLION, and no, the rest of the world probably doesn't care if you go out drinking with your mates.
BUT I have to say that a country's foriegn policy come directly from it's general society, and while it is very easy for a government to a create a big scare and push legislation through that will affect people in other parts of the world, it is VERY hard to change the policy once people have stopped to think about what is going on.
A great example is Australia's policy on Illegal Immigrants. For years they have been slipping in on boats from Indonesia in lots of 10 or 15 or 40. No-one really cared about it until afer 9/11. America had a big panic about how they hijackers got into the country and because Australia is friends with the US, the paranoia filtered down to us. Then a BIG boat of refugees sunk and a nice freighter ship picked them up and tried to take them to Australia. Our Prime Minister had promised George Bush he would make sure that no terrorist came to the US from Australia, so WE started to look at OUR border security. The Prime Minister pretty much said: "Look at that big boat full of people, that's my point, we don't know who is getting through our borders!" So many people panicked and said they wanted tougher border protection that the Australian government created laws saying that you can be deported if you don't apply for refugee status in your OWN country before coming here. The the problem now is that if you try apply to Australia for refugee status in your own country, they kill you. Which is why you are trying to get out of there in the first place.
We have had so many public inquiries about it, and there have only been TWO guys who may have had terrorist links. And they both came by plane. 97% of the people we kick out on technicalities are REAL refugees. So thousands of legitimate refugees, fleeing from murderous regiems and persecution are punnished because we let a stupid bit of legislation get through while we were scared.
The only reason we passed the legislation was because we thought we migt be a target.
The only reason Australia could be a target is because we backed the US.
The only reason we backd the US is because we want beter trade deals, so you see even your foriegn TRADE policy can affect an Afganian refugee.
And US trade policy comes from the people you vote for, so please choose carefully, and don't just vote for someone cause thy say they will cut your tax bill (like Bush did).
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