Protesters attack US diplomatic compounds in Egypt, Libya

[opebo]

Being loved and feared is better, and possible.

Extremists don't fear the United States. They are prepared to die while attacking it.
There is not much that any president can do about that. You can try to stop attacks, and most times, the US succeeds in doing that, but stopping all of them? That is just not possible.

Earthling's right, J.J., you can't make them 'fear' the US, in any sense which would dissuade them.  Embassies have to be defended by having first (and most importantly) a high level of influence over or ability to rely upon the host country State and security forces, and secondly very effective embassy security.  

Personally I think it would be a very good idea - perhaps it would eventually be a necessity - to relocate embassies in Muslim countries to isolated areas well outside the city, where approach by anyone could be better monitored, with checkpoints, large US-controlled 'grounds', kill-zones, etc.  Think of something like a cross between the current embassy in Baghdad and the Green Zone.

[opebo]

That is just disgusting and will only backfire.

It will only backfire if pubs don't show up at the polls, and with a few indys....and in my view the pubs hate Obama enough to show up regardless.

Yes, I don't think this will backfire - it is a very effective strategy for Romney against Obama, who has tremendous weakness - even more than a typical Democrat (due to being perceived as black and Muslim) - in the area of 'foreign policy'.  This embassy killing could very well tip the election back in Romney's favor.

[opebo]

God Bless the Internet! Am I the only one that's shocked this sort of thing could happen in this day and age? Ambassadors being carted out of their offices and murdered?

My understanding is that the ambassador was not 'carted out of his office and then murdered', nor did he come into direct contact with the Islamists, but rather that he died of smoke inhalation from fires caused by their rocket attacks. 

This doesn't make that much difference, but if correct, it suggests that the attackers did not control the compound with impunity.  Does anyone know the precise details of the attack?

[opebo]

No, the entire point of having freedom of speech is to protect unpopular words.

There's unpopular and there is offensive.

But LM, the really villainous can only be described accurately in 'offensive' terms, no?