> Weird response to a pretty benign question.

How was this question:

> I think basically every country exercises this power

You quoted something that wasn't part of the question, which was "I'm wondering if this is a new thing".

Their impression was that it wasn't and that other countries do similar things. Stating your understanding of a situation helps guide discussion and helps people answer your inquiries. Doing that should be encouraged, not somehow treated as an endorsement of tyranny.