Globalization and faster spread of technologies makes societies look more similar on the surface than they actually are and this fools people. If we put aside the technological aspect, and look at some social and cultural parameters, no eastern nation has yet reached the level of social dynamism achieved by several west European nations already in late 18th century (except perhaps Japan approaching pre-WWII and since 80s onward).
Interesting thing is none of that dynamism had borne much fruit yet when it comes to military technology and economic productivity, hence seeming to some observers like Ottomans could sometimes hold their own, this leading some to conclude Ottoman decline started only in late 18th century; or based on Avshar Nader's performance against Ottomans to lead some to argue even Afsharid Iran could've held its own against any number of European powers.
And when it comes to economic productivity, some have argued (and this revisionist view is becoming mainstream because of the new cultural relativism fad), as there wasn't much mass production yet and India and China still produced much more and had a more sizeable economies, that western dominance only started in 19th century, hence having to produce "industrial revolution" like a deus ex machina to account for the rapid "out-of-nowhere" overtaking in numbers which occurred.
