Oh, it's all right to censure abroad!

Can people criticise their country before a foreign audience without coming across as being churlish? Sure, they can. Irrespective of the validity or otherwise of the criticisms, those harrumphing against 'airing one's dirty laundry in public' should realise that 'dirty laundry' will appear dirty regardless of being aired in public or private. In fact, the bigger bane is treating outsiders as entities without their own mind. Imagine if leaders in history had kept their criticisms of the ruling dispositions within their own picket fences. Either they would have been shushed down if the domestic climate was not conducive to criticism; or they would have taken their legitimate thoughts with them to the grave - not a great advertisement for free speech in a society.

Countries should be sturdy enough for one of their own to air their views to outsiders. Airing views is not rustling up an army but seeking out agreement of view. In any case, what matters is not critiques shared in far-flung countries but how such critiques are taken at home. In fact, sharing one's critical views abroad of aspects of one's own country - governments being aspects of a country - shows the country in a magnanimous light. Otherwise, being viewed as a Potemkin village - showcased only favourably for outside viewing - does little for the country being criticised.