Americans are always surprised to see how much anger and hate people in other countries, especially (but not confined to) the Middle East, feel toward us. Most of us try to be respectful, considerate and thoughtful not just to family and friends but to everyone we meet. Generally, we're pretty decent individuals. Why then, do we feel so despised? Actually, I don't think we are.

In my limited travels to other countries, I have found people to be friendly toward me, and they treated me about the same as their visitors from all countries. While I have never traveled to the Middle East, the people I have met from that region, students, faculty, professionals, have all treated me with respect and consideration. If they hated me, they hid it pretty well. The problem, as someone once said to me, is people from other countries like Americans but dislike America. That seems to make a lot of sense.

People from other countries judge us more by our government's policies than by firsthand contact with us as individuals. After all, that's what affects them the most, and they see that far more than they see any one of us. And without question, our foreign policy, especially in the Bush administration, has been heavy-handed and insensitive. The swagger and arrogance the president has displayed in trying to impose his will on other countries is stunning. No wonder they have such a negative view of us. Our government has not treated them with much respect.

We were recently treated to another example of the disdain and contempt the president has for the rest of the world. Last week, in criticizing Russia, president Bush said, "Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century." What?

Just how stupid does he think the world is? The hypocrisy inherent in that remark is breathtaking. What has the U.S. foreign policy been for the past seven years if not "bullying and intimidation?"

Here's a test everybody can pass: What do you call invading a sovereign nation, deposing and executing its leader? What do you call threatening several other nations with military action unless they succumb to our weapons control demands? What do you call telling other countries how to conduct their domestic affairs and imposing sanctions when they don't comply? If you answered "bullying and intimidation," you earned an A+.

Another question for extra credit: Who's done all of this? Bet you got that one right too: the United States. That the president would condemn others for copying his foreign policy practices displays a disrespect for the rest of the world almost beyond belief.

We could dismiss this as just another on the long list of examples of George W. Bush's incompetent leadership if not for the upcoming presidential election. Republican candidate John McCain has aligned himself with the foreign policy of the Bush administration, especially on Iraq and the Middle East. If elected, there is no doubt we will see four or eight more years of the same wrong-headed policies. To be honest, I think any more "bullying and intimidation" on our part could be a disaster. The U.S. is in a precarious position in the world right now, both politically and economically. We are going to have to protect our interests with diplomacy, not our weight, which shouldn't be thrown around so much.

Republicans have brutally criticized Barack Obama for a lack of foreign policy experience while pretending McCain has plenty. At 72, Sen. McCain has a lot of life experience, but I'm puzzled as to how much of that is foreign policy. For the past few decades, foreign policy has been conducted by the executive branch as Congress has displayed neither the ability nor the will to do so. Further, if McCain calls his limited work with Bush foreign policy experience, I will argue that having no experience is preferable to that.

In this century, our foreign policy has been on the wrong path. Any president who wants to stay the course will only continue the erosion of U.S. respect and influence abroad. The damage done by the Bush administration will be difficult but not impossible to repair. We need to start now.