Does it seem odd to you that Australians, Canadians and Brits seem to know more about our political woes than we know of theirs?

Surely you have one.  I thought it changed with the Patriot Act for Canada and Mexico.  I remember people going South of the border and not being able to come back.  I'm sure they eventually did but, who needs that kind of hassle.  I don't go anywhere without mine anymore.  If I had not had it with me I would not have been able to get my DL and register my car in Florida because at some point my name changed from a middle initial to my full maiden name.  But when she saw the passport all was fine.  I think it's the only no questions asked ID anymore.   

So is my retired military ID.

I have one that expired.

Huh? My wife took a cruise to the Islands and was required to have a passport.

Huh? Are you suggesting that what I said is untrue? I flew and remember it quite well. I showed my license and birth certificate at the gate at JFK and boarded the plane.

I think rules have changed more than once in the past few years. I know in 2006, we sent my parents on a surprise cruise to the Bahamas for their Anniversary and they were able to use ID and birth certificate. But and if it would have 2007, they would have been required to have a passport.
I was looking to see for sure when the law changed and found that for cruises as 2009, if it is a closed loop cruise (i.e. departing and arriving in the same US port) then no passport is required.

i went to Jamaica in 2004.

Sounds right....my parents went 2006 on just BC and ID.

When is the question I guess.  I know I've been to Jamaica and other islands with no passport but that was before 9-11.  The problem is getting home.  

As I said above, it was in 2004.

You'll have to have it now.

https://traveltips.usatoday.com/americans-need-passport-travel-bahamas-jamaica-106304.html

Those "free travel" agreements with Canada, Mexico and Carribean islands were made a long time ago. Do you think it would be easy to renegotiate those agreements today?

By the way, many people seem to be unaware that those agreements work both ways. Mexicans no more need a passport to travel into the US to fill a job that want them than Amerikans need a passport to go down to Tijuana for some cheap carousing.

Just since WWII? America has played a major role in world events since the 18th century. Ever heard of, for example, the American Revolution and the Louisiana Purchase? Those were not exactly local, minor events.

We were not a major player until WW1.
And even then, we downsized our military afterwards.

It was not until after WW2, that we didn't downsize our military ... and began using it to intimidate developed nations.
Prior to that, we used "gunboat diplomacy" on "banana republics" and nations lagging in military technology.
And only after WW2 did we worry about outpacing other nations in military development - so we could intimidate them.

Prior to WW1, we were a bit player on the world stage.
After WW2, we became a leading actor.

You need to learn some history. If the US was such a bit player, England would not have attacked us in the War of 1812.

No ... they attacked us BECAUSE we were a bit player - as opposed to a superpower.

In fact, if you think about it ... the British won the war.
They sacked our nations' capital, after all.
If it would have happened during modern communications - that would have pretty much been the end of it.

This post was edited by Walt O'Reagun at April 18, 2018 3:34 PM MDT

I thought you had got that round the wrong way too... but in actual fact America wasn't  big player as such -this exact pattern happened over and over in many of the countries the British Isles believed were part of their empire.. You started out as our children and when you grew up you wanted independence - hardly surprising. There are recorded several English authorities at the time saying let them go, it's the right thing to do, there would have been no war, but in their wisdom at the time, as SO often happened, those in charge decided not to let you guys go without a fight. Presumably they wanted to keep squeezing goods, money and profits from you.. just greed. It wasn't like you were, at that time a world power, and as I say this same pattern of English fighting to try to keep lands back then was very common. It's the reason we don't learn about the war with you in school, cos it was one of many, many, many wars and they aren't really something we should be proud of. 

Foreigners' opinions are  meaningless to me too when it has to do with my country and our politics. 

I can't imagine why I would go to a forum where British politics were discussed.  Many people don't buy into the it's one big happy world thing.  It is one world with sovereign nations which govern themselves among themselves. This post was edited by Thriftymaid at April 18, 2018 7:06 PM MDT

From what I've read of the Great Depression ... America was one of the last nations to be affected by it.