The empire's European states formed in the 19th century proved about as stable and long-lasting as Genghis Khan's, leading to so many of the nation-states we know and love today. Yes, I'm looking at you, Burundi. Did you ever know you're my Burundi? You're everything. Stan, don't cut to the intro, I sing like an angel! So unless you're over 60, and let's face it, Internet, you're not, you've only ever known a world of nation-states. But as we've seen from Egypt to Alexander the Great to China to Rome to the Mongols, who for once are not the exception here, to the Ottomans and the Americas, empire has long been the dominant way we've organized ourselves politically, or at least the way that other people have organized us.