So i was looking through the US federal jobs list on USAJOBS and I noticed there are some "normal" job postings abroad, like library assistant and secretary positions, stuff that I have some experience in. A lot of them say you have to live in the commuting area or be a federal employee or something. If I just went to the commuting area of a job as a tourist, could that count enough as "living in the commuting area" and I could then apply for the job? Or could I work as a federal employee as like a secretary or library person in the US for a while and then apply for a job abroad? Does anyone have experience with this?

Hah, this is such a longshot. OH I just chose Australia as my "expat to" place cuz I love Australia and have looked into immigrating there. I know their really aren't any US govt jobs in Australia. I'm really interested in living in Europe too, or something.

You would normally have to live there ie have a visa that allows you to live & work there or be a citizen who doesn't need one.

Except at the level of diplomatic jobs, where the government pays for your relocation and you are eligible for a diplomatic visa, the government generally looks for local citizens and residents for ordinary staffing positions. You would have to be legally resident in the area to be considered for a government job.
Cheers,
Bev