It's truly amazing the shallow depths to which American international news organizations aspire.

We honestly do not fully comprehend what's going on around us in the world. For example:

Did you know that six Gulf nations, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, are planning a monetary union in 2010?

Did you know that the U.S. has offered to hold join military exercies - WITH VIETNAM?

Did you know that Vietnam's ruling Communist party is becoming more capitalist in its outlook, and that some party members are not voting the "party line" on important votes put before it?

Did you know that warlords in Somalia have surrendered their weapons, but to radical Islamist militias who now run the country?

While far away, each of these could have a direct impact on our economy, on our military and even on on our way of life.

If we've learned anything from the past few years, its that everything in every nation has the potential to impact us here in the U.S. in ways we never thought of before.