Why Does This All Happen in Northwest Europe?

There are four views on whether or not capitalism is a good thing. Douglas North: One view says that there's nothing distinctive about Europe, but markets and capitalism are good. Another argues that the only thing that makes modern world-starting Europe is some stroke of luck. And then finally, you've got my view, which is that basically, capitalism appears in the modern world because of a pure stroke of luck; both that stroke of luck and the outcome of it is bad.