[hutzlibu]

> Unfortunately, the alternatives to empires is isolation and infighting between smaller powers. For an example of this, take a look at the middle east.

The example of the middle east is not really the best for supporting your claim, since there are not only small powers, but also the big empires fighting for various reasons.

And I believe that is the case in nearly every mayor conflict I know. The big empires are allways involved. So it is not really an argument pro empire, when the empires are the cause for the conflict in the first place.