Oh boy, where do I even begin? The last century of the western world was full of alternate versions, and not all of them were pretty.
Let's start with the early 1900s, where we saw the rise of imperialism and the scramble for Africa. Western powers fought over resources and territory like it was a game of Risk, all while convincing themselves they were doing Africans a favor by "civilizing" them. The same goes for the Philippines, which the United States conveniently acquired through the Spanish-American War. Who needs consent when you can just take what you want, right?
Moving on to World War I, we saw the western world engage in a pointless and devastating war that left millions dead and the world's political landscape forever changed. But hey, at least they got to use all those shiny new weapons, right? And speaking of shiny new weapons, let's not forget about the development and use of chemical warfare. Because nothing screams "progress" like choking and burning people to death.
But don't worry, the western world had their priorities straight. Following World War I, they focused on prohibition and the war on drugs, because clearly making alcohol and drugs illegal will solve all of society's problems. And let's not forget about the rise of eugenics, because apparently certain races and classes are just inherently superior to others.
Then came the Great Depression, where the western world's economic greed finally caught up to them. But hey, at least those in power had no problem crushing workers' rights and exploiting their labor, all while lining their own pockets.
And of course, who could forget about World War II? The western world really outdid themselves this time with the atrocities committed, from the Holocaust to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But hey, as long as we're the ones with the biggest and deadliest weapons, everything's fine, right?
Following World War II, the western world engaged in the Cold War, where they spent decades fearmongering and engaging in proxy wars while ignoring the needs and rights of their own citizens. But hey, at least we won in the end, right?
And finally, we get to the present day, where the western world is still grappling with issues of racism, inequality, and poverty. But hey, as long as we can pat ourselves on the back for being the "greatest" and most "advanced" civilization in history, everything's fine, right?
So there you have it, the history of the western world in the last century, in all its sarcastic glory.