Manx

It does not "ultimately come down to" individual responsibility. Assuredly, the mobs that commited the attrocities should not have commited the attrocities. No one is disputing that fact.

But neither does it excuse, in any way, the West from constantly and consistently creating the situations that bring about such mob mentality.

Your example was just an arbitrary example of responsibility. If you want an example that in some fashion is more closely related to the subject:

Let's say the government picks your neighbor to tell you what to do and the government gives nice things to your neighbor and lets your neighbor decide what (or if) he should pass anything along to you. Then one day, the government decides that it doesn't want to give anything to anyone anymore, and in the process of packing its bags, puts you in charge of your neighbor who had been hoarding and treating you like shit. And then, another government comes along and puts a gun in your hand. Now mutliply yourself by hundreds of thousands.

I don't know you from Adam - but I do know we can't expect anything close to every person in your situation in that scenario to not seek revenge. But when you say "responsibility" is the ultimate issue, that is exactly the expectation you are suggesting we have.