Very recently this year, Canada sent a tweet to Saudi Arabia calling for the immediate release of all human rights activists held in custody. The Saudi Arabian government lashed out at Canada and severed all ties with that country. This event brought to the surface an already existing discussion: “Do countries have a moral obligation to criticize others?” Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Public criticism is one of the least efficient ways a country can address a problem. It is not effective, can create enemies and lead to many other unforeseen consequences such as a decrease in the economy. Openly criticizing a nation has very little effectiveness. When a country receives a negative comment from another nation, it will be very defensive (especially if the recipient is a monarch), eager to publicly display strength for its people to see. In many cases, rebellions can start if people see their king/queen/prince as a weak ruler. Additionally, the issues addressed may be based on cultural or religious views that people may have. These people see many things in life differently, so imposing a Western view on them would not make sense. A better way to express concerns would be through private meetings, where leaders can make judgments without showing signs of weakness. The country will probably also be offended by the comment, creating a useless enemy for itself. Saudi Arabia made enemies of Germany and Sweden for reasons similar to the case of Canada. Saudi Arabia no longer trades with these three nations, which has cost them all significant losses. Having an enemy who holds a grudge against you is a potentially dangerous situation, especially in the case of a war (perhaps even World War III). Many more consequences will follow unless an apology is given, but even then there is no guarantee. The economic status of our nation is at stake. Canada could lose up to $1.4 billion in arms trade with the large Middle Eastern country. Travel between the two nations is also limited, which could play a smaller role in the economy. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Not only will the Canadian economy be worse off, but the problem we face could have increased. By interfering, the Saudi government is forced to show force, and what better way to do so than to execute the human rights activists who caused the problem in the first place. Posting tweets about how another country handles its internal affairs could lead to disastrous results. An important business partner becomes an enemy and the result could be a decrease in economic status, only after having listened to your opinion, but chosen to ignore it. Holding confidential meetings to discuss would avoid any negative outcome while gaining more respect from the other country. Following moral obligations cannot endanger one's nation.