We succeeded because we built a superior culture. And because we were fortunate enough to see the richness of this land and exploit it.
There is no "privilege" to it. It is a status purchased with sweat and blood.
It is, nevertheless, not something which each of us achieves individually, or usually not. It is an inheritance which was indeed won by our ancestors through hardship and ferocity.
Don’t discount the ferocity. Europe conquered the world by the sword, in almost all cases against ridiculous odds.