> you're just really really attached to the idea that colonialism explains the modern world. You're putting words in my mouth. I never said anything of the sor

> you're just really really attached to the idea that colonialism explains the modern world. You're putting words in my mouth. I never said anything of the sort. I said that one can't understand Western European socialism (the kind which OP appears to advocate) without understanding this aspect of those countries' history. The implication is that calling such socialism "nice" is ignoring and whitewashing the negative side, both historical and contemporary. In any case, I know better than to seriously engage in a discussion about this on HN; it's really not the forum for these sorts of conversations.