The systems that begot America have existed for centuries at least throughout much of Europe and the Global North. This horror and absolute denigration of human dignity that defines the US was brought by colonizers who began developing these institutions of terror on their own soil. I argue that the assimilation and oppression of indigenous historically non-white European groups (such as the Celts) are the direct idealogical ancestors of the atrocities that Europeans have committed across the world. Without the enslavement and oppression of Ireland, as an example, I do not believe that the holocaust of the indigenous American peoples would’ve looked the same or even existed to begin with. This issue has existed long before the US has existed and until Europeans reckon with the harm they have wreaked across the planet this will continue.

Many non-Americans in the global north will point to US atrocities and say “only in America” without even questioning their country’s involvement in the current state of things, or the fact that their country likely perpetuates similar oppression in the global south in order to maintain their “social democracy”. Until we stop relying on exploitation to drive progress (i.e. capitalism) this will not change. “This wouldn’t happen in xyz European country” thats because they historically and likely presently externalize their oppression to provide the surplus necessary for a socially democratic capitalist country. The bourgeoisie still steals from the worker, so to maintain a level of comfort for the worker they also steal from a country the European does not care about to provide the surplus without having to give up anything themselves.

Until Europe does the work to remove the parasitic owner class and end their exploitation of the global south they are only marginally better than the US in my eyes. And realistically they should pay reparations for all the harm they have done to the global south as well.