Kinda a subtoot, but I'm begging people to stop using the "civilization/barbarism" dichotomy, even if you're somehow applying it "in reverse."

From day 1, the notion of "civilized" nations contrasted against "barbarians" was propaganda for empire, and it still is.

When you observe that those who called themselves "civilized" were more violent and destructive than those they called "barbarians", or that the standard of living for their poor was much worse, or whatever other glimpse through the lies you want to share, if you do that by calling empires "barbarians" or their victims "civilized" you're demonstrating that you haven't yet moved beyond the idea of that distinction: that some folks are "civilized" and this superior to others in light of their "civility". But it's not civility that makes a society better; it's justice, happiness, peace, etc., and civility is often the enemy of those things, both in the "access to luxuries (without regard to their cost)" and the "avoiding strenuous disagreement (and thus shushing those attempting to hold power to account)" senses. The things that make empires bad are also easy to denounce: violence, oppression, corruption, etc.