but no, the statement wasn't wrong. I don't hear a lot of Americans with the gall to tell other nations how to spend their own money, at least not a lot compared to people from other countries who try to lecture the US on how we spend our money or who we should elect (e.g. the Guardian's attempt to influence Ohio voters last fall). Simply put, it's none of their damned business and they should butt out.

It wouldn't surprise me that a Canadian would know of more examples where Americans have done the same, but that's probably a function of news reporting. It's just as wrong for Americans to try to dictate how other nations run their economy except where it impacts us. For example, if a country does things that drive up prices here, then we do have a reasonable gripe and so do they when we do the same thing (such as when Bush inacted steel tariffs several years ago - that was bad policy).