Five years into the Iraq War, the attitude of many toward the United States has changed. The picture from overseas that our country is a land of freedom and goodwill, a land of kind and generous people, has been damaged. A number of foreigners see some of the political decisions our government has made as one-sided, aggressive, and self-centered. The foreign policy of the Bush administration has exasperated the situation and further isolated us from the world. America's commitment in the Middle East is the main drive for this dramatic change of opinion. Some of the methods our administration is using in the war on terrorism have been not only criticized in emotional debates by other countries, but by our citizens as well.

The people in Europe have become increasingly pacifistic and in general do not agree with Washington's policy in the Middle East. We should not forget that on 9/11 the Russian people brought flowers to our embassy in Moscow and lit candles; people in Tehran were mourning with us. Things have changed. Today our relationship with Russia is quite tense and the White House is contemplating the bombing of Iran. International rules require provocation and the right for self-defense in order to justify a war. There is no question that in general we Americans are dissatisfied with our current image in the world. However, the fact that we are defending freedom and democracy in many countries, that we are selflessly supporting humanitarian efforts worldwide, should not be forgotten.

We will have to pick up the pieces and the next president will have mend many fences. It is uncertain how long that will take. America's foreign policy is often determined by our economic interests and by the character of our president. The return to our former image the generous, just, and kindhearted "true America" the world has known will require time. Unless a new administration will alter its idea on foreign relations, not only our image will remain damaged, but our effective impact on world affairs to the benefit of all people on this planet will suffer.