Self Censorship. Is It Necessary Sometimes?

A few years ago the responsibility for publishing and censorship rested with the mainstream media of newspapers, radio and television.
In a world where any one of us can publish to the masses, these responsibilities have been passed to us.

There are times when we want to express our thoughts and honest opinions on a particular topic that we have very definite opinions on.

The writer wants to be honest and to the point with his readers, but in certain instances the topic is explosive and embroiled in controversy.
At the least this honesty can offend others and at the worst it can lead to an escalation into violence.

I recently was involved in an online discussion where I put forward some rather forthright views on a particular topic. This topic concerned a country where I had spent some time and formed an opinion on.
Problems occurred when my comments aroused the ire of the Filipinos who were reading my posts.
My posts concerned my views on corruptive forces plaguing the Philippines.

I found myself shouted down because according to the contributors to the discussion, no foreigner could point the finger at the weaknesses and failings of their country unless he had experienced the hardships as an inhabitant.

I went to great lengths to explain that my posts were based on my own observations and experiences.
The overwhelming response from readers was that I should consider the ramifications of what I write.
I am the first one to admit that I tend to focus on the negative because it makes for interesting reading.

Do I have a responsibility to balance negative comments with the positive?

On one side I had my personal experiences and observations and on the other side I had the responsibility of not portraying The Philippines in a bad light. The fact is that I enjoy my time there and portraying the Philippines as a “no go” country to visit was not my intention.

It seems that there is a rule that foreigners do not have the right to criticize, and Filipinos simply do not like foreigners to make judgments.
Perhaps they are right?
The fact is that negative posts affect the standing of their country in international eyes and that the writer should consider the big picture.
Although my rantings would hardly cause ripples on a large scale, I can see that sometimes the enticement of writing something controversial should be balanced against the harm a foreigner can cause to industries such as tourism and international labor markets.