Known By The Company They Keep

This is not a political blog, but I can't resist commenting on the list of countries that plan to support China's boycott of the Nobel Prize ceremony, following that country's outrage at the honouring of one of its citizens who is an activist for human rights.

It said in a statement that the envoys of Russia, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Serbia, Iraq, Iran, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Venezuela, the Philippines, Egypt, Sudan, Ukraine, Cuba and Morocco would miss the event "for various reasons".

Not exactly a proud list of democracies that revere the rule of law, is it?