The events of the last few days has reminded Americans of the gulf that lies between the values they hold dear and the values of many in the Muslim world.  They have also shown the great divide between main stream American values and the present administration. Finally the spreading violence is showing what happens when America pulls back and creates a vacuum of leadership and influence.

Leading from behind and apologizing has been the hallmarks of the President”s policies in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Inexplicably this strategy of cozying up with those adverse to American values has coincided with ignoring those seeking to embrace American ideals. The end result has been a diminishing United States in the eyes of the Muslim world and ever growing resentment of American principles.

Given the present state of affairs it should be seen as no wonder things are in the shape they are. In Egypt the former White House VIPs, the Muslim Brotherhood, decided to celebrate 9-11 by sending protestors to attack the U.S. embassy. Under the guise of a 6 month old anti-Islamic video the brother of the President of Egypt and hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood associates climbed the walls and tore down the American flag. Even before violence began the the knee jerk response of the administration’s representatives at the embassy was to apologize for the insult and plead for understanding. Although the President would later try to distance himself from the remarks his own speech was only moderately better.

In Libya the evidently long planned attacks were also meant to be a way for radical Islamists to mark 9-11. Burning the consulate and assassinating one of U.S.’s most heralded Ambassadors the Libyan attack was the most bloody riot so far.

Unfortunately the initial protests in Egypt and Libya were only harbingers of what was to come. What is missing in all the commentary on what is happening is a true analysis of why these rioters are so upset. The truth is the anger seen across the globe has little to do with a old video portraying the Muslim prophet as a bloody sex fiend. The attacks and protests are not even aimed against America as a country or even the U.S. government per say, they are against American values and freedom. The corrupting, as they see it, force of American values like freedom of speech is something they despise and wish to defend the Muslim world against. American values undermine their culture and desire for religious rule and are to be defended against at all cost. They rightfully see ideas like freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom to live your own life as a threat to the world they want to preserve and reinforce. In this war of ideals apologizing for someone exercising their freedom of speech only inflames the radicals and convinces them even more they are right. Unbelievably the President and his administration seem oblivious to this.

The fact is the President’s administration has not only refused to defend American values in the face of these unjustified attacks they have been actively kowtowing to the Islamists. Perhaps one the most blatant and indefensible examples of the administrations cowering is when it intentionally released to the press the name of the man who made the video used as the excuse for the mayhem. In a move equivalent to saying here he is come and get him they put the man, his family and all those around him in danger. If something happens to this man this reprehensible act will make the administration an accessory to murder. The media, except for dutifully publishing the name and age of the man, have been silent on this outrageous attempt to silence those who would think to do the same.

Of course any criticism of the how things have been handled is lost on this President and his administration. It seems the President, who has been attacking Romney for criticizing his weak response, is too intent on not offending the Muslim world to defend freedom. A strategy that so far has not quelled the spreading violence; to the contrary, it seems to of had an effect similar to that of waving a red flag in front of a bull.

For most this latest round of cowardice in defending freedom should come as no surprise. Obama himself has shown little respect for the freedoms Americans have so gallantly fought and died for. From his negation of the rights of Catholics to follow their conscious to his disregard for freedom of speech he has shown himself to have something in common with those dancing on burning flags across the Muslim world. He, like them, sees freedoms that undermine the greater agenda as dangerous and in need of restraint.