The "generational guilt" theory does not check out to me at all. Coming from central Europe, I mostly hear about these rethorics from English-language sources. In non-english European media generational guilt for colonization is hardly a thing in my experience.
Generational guilt can exist, for about one generation. After that it has to be taught.
Generational despair, on the other hand …
That makes sense. Thanks for checking me on that. My sample is biased by mostly reading US and UK stuff, as a primary English speaker.