Today in Oslo there was an empty chair for the imprisoned Liu Xiaobo, and equally empty seats in the audience for the 18 gutless countries that didn't show up because of Chinese arm-twisting.
We'd expect those jammed in China's pocket ideologically or economically to cave. But think about what it means when Iraq and Afghanistan join Iran, Cuba and Venezuela on the list of no-shows. It means that these sovereign nations who exist solely because America sent its troops to kick Taliban and Hussein butt - and who aren't beholden to the Chinese since they feed at the trough of American taxpayer dollars - made a giant, symbolic "screw you, America" gesture. Karzai and al-Maliki gave us the global finger, and by doing so they raised their guilty hands in favor of repression.
Afghanistan and Iraq Dishonor American Dead by Boycotting Nobel Ceremony; So Does Saudi Arabia (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-hanft/afghanistan-and-iraq-dish_b_795266.html)