Sevenstrokeroll,
No one would ever be fired for following regulations, that is what guys need to start to understand. No company (in a developed country) could fire someone for not even attempting an approach in these conditions and going straight for the alternate, it would never stand up in court and they know it, there are weather reports to back them up, there are regulations to back them up. The problem is one of inexperienced guys, I expect even the captain had less than 2000 hours and yes that is inexperienced to be a captain or an FO in my opinion. You want to impress and get the job done, you are pressured but don't yet realize that it is something that you can say no to without consequence.
To anyone reading this who is in an airline or flying in any capacity and is inexperienced or pressured. If it is obviously wrong don't do it, even if you make a bad call and divert when not needed you still will not be fired if you can justify your thinking. If you get that, what are we doing feeling, in your gut, SPEAK UP, I expect the FO did have that feeling but he is now dead along with six others as he did not say "going around, we need to divert to XXXX" he said "okay". If you have had that feeling in the past and went along with things this could be you we are writing about but you got lucky. I have and I got lucky but now understand it is not worth it. You are not paid any where near enough to go beyond the regulations to get the job done, you are never paid enough to do that. There can be no action taken against you for sticking to the rules and if you know of guys who bend them bring them up on it, talk to them, make them understand that it makes it harder for everyone if they push it more than they should as it then brings undue pressure on others.