President Bush has traveled quite a bit recently hoping to muster support for Iraq and repair some damaged relations. A good idea too, as it appears many international relations could be worked on. But one thing stuck out in my mind as I read where President Bush was going and what he was doing: Why do tens of thousands of people in every country he visits demonstrate?

Welcome to Ireland and Turkey, Mr. President — but the people have something they want you to know. Your international policy is creating a more dangerous world for Americans as well as every citizen of the world. When the people of other countries organize a demonstration against you as president of the United States, maybe you should take notice.

Foreign policy decisions such as Bush’s insistence on going to war in Iraq without the support of the United Nations have been extremely destructive to our international relations, as have policies such as the World Trade Organization, North American Free Trade Agreement, and the United States’ refusal to abide by international agreements such as the Geneva Accords and U.N. resolutions. In the Middle East, people are most upset with America’s lack of justice and human rights.

The past four years with President Bush have seen many changes. One of the changes I have noticed is citizens in the places I’ve visited have grown increasingly anti-American — or rather, anti-American foreign policy. Let me say it in another way: Many are in love with American culture, but have an intense dislike for our foreign policy.

For example, while in London, I spoke with a group of college kids that were sitting in a cafe. While figuring out where everyone was from, I explained to them I live in Iowa, the United States. Interestingly enough, the discussion went from politics, and how America pulled Britain into the war in Iraq, to Britney Spears and Brad Pitt. Strange twist. Questions such as “Did you vote for Bush?” to “Have you seen Britney’s new video?” filled our conversation.

In the Middle East, the discussion is a bit different. The discussions are filled with questions about who is going to win the next election. They ask why people like George W. Bush, and I struggle to answer them. They ask if Kerry is much better, and I nod yes, but quickly follow with “Better. But not that much.” The usual questions about Britney Spears and this time, Enrique Iglesias, soon follow.

Funny, how when speaking English, an American accent is still preferred. The fashions from America are the trend now, as they were the last time. When you turn on the television, you see assortments of music videos by American artists.

But I must say, a subtle change has taken place since I was here last summer. Instead of buying Marlboro cigarettes, French varieties are popular. Japanese cars and electronics are the best and cheapest here.

While America still rules on fashion and feeding the world’s materialistic hunger, America has stumbled recently. Everyone knows Americans are rich; why not hit them where it hurts the most by buying other countries’ goods?

Just the other day, the taxi driver who dropped me off at my apartment said it best. “I wish I could go to America to escape Bush’s foreign policy. I don’t think the world can handle another four years with Bush.”

When our president travels to other countries, he should be welcomed as a leader of justice, fair economic trade, and a leader in human rights, not the leader of the country responsible for the prisoner abuses in Baghdad. There should not be massive security forces costing host nations millions of dollars to host Mr. Bush. Tens of thousands of people should not be out in the street demonstrating against the leader of our country.

Although public opinion seems to leave Mr. Bush something to think about, and hopefully reconsider, he remains steadfast on “doing what is right.” It’s hard to be a leader of the most powerful nation militarily and economically.

But when every town, city, and country our leader visits, has mass demonstrations against you, one would think that maybe a careful re-examination of the foreign policy is needed.

The world doesn’t hate America or Americans. In fact they love us, but they hate our foreign policy, and I can understand why.