Sure, thanks. Read it, and it was on Ibian's homework assignments a while back.
The #trilema logs are all about empire too.
Can also recommend 'The Sultans' by Noel Barber.
I find fascinating that things I can witness everyday happening around me and having apparently no relation whatsoever the one with the other , were quoted by that Glubb Pacha guy as symptoms of decadent empires years ago. That scared the hell out of me.