What people did and what people do...

...are completely different things.

Can we start looking at what people are doing now and stop digging through the historical trash can looking for racial stereotypes.

Many nations in the world have:

• Been responsible for large scale mass murder (or near genocide) of one racial group or another 
• Used slaves or traded in them, or exploited indentured labour (not much different)
• Engaged in wide scale state persecution of religious or ethnic minorities 
• Used torture as a standard interrogation technique
• Used armed force against civilians
• Ignored basic rights of women 

Most developed countries no longer do. Few Europeans, North Americans, Australians etc. were alive when their countries did these things. Most are members of organisations actively trying to prevent them occurring.

But some heinous atrocities occurred in our lifetimes, and some are ongoing. If we are going to point fingers, then can we stick to countries that do so, routinely, today. There are more than enough of them to go round.

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The process of observation changes that which is observed, hence you cannot photograph reality.