So it's my fault.
“I’ve always resisted getting the international stuff for two reasons: there is a currency exchange risk involved always, and I don’t trust foreign governments to do smart, fair things in their markets.”
If your US stock portfolio includes large corporations (Exxon, Wal-Mart, GE, CocaCola, Citbank, Ford, Caterpillar) you have substantial international exposure in your portfolio. No need to buy international funds or stocks unless you just want to have higher exposure.
In addition, if you rely on US multinationals corporations international exposure, they are managing the currency risk, and the political risk, of their operations for their US investors. Better in many ways than buying a pure foreign play where management is not managing for US investors.
As to not trusting foreign governments to do smart fair things in their markets, I no longer trust the US government either. The US regulatory state is openly anti business.
Why is it these finance guys with all the information they have access to make a dumb Bet like that?
If you follow just the basic financial news you would not play that market.
The Wall Street guys think they have super brains but they don’t.