So what, Japan just colonized most of Asia to spread zen vibes? Or, you know that time Ghengis Khan raped and pillaged his way all the way to Eastern Europe? Or, failing that the repeated wars between Egypt and the Hittites? Even the native Hawaiians fought wars between the islands prior to their colonization. Conquest, genocide and enslavement have been the human condition for all of history everywhere without exception.

Preemptive edit: This doesn’t excuse any of it and we are finally, maybe barely moving past it, but the only reason it seems like this is a western phenomenon is because the most recently globally dominant nations are from there.