The empire comes after the republic.

Or, if one happens to be France, after, before, after, and before (they had two 'empires', interleaved between republics and a monarchy or two).

Eh -- IMO "empire" is used to highlight an expansionary, hierarchical regime, not just the literal old-school meaning of a single sovereign. Thus "anti-imperial" as it's used today, frequently targeting both post-monarchy Britain and the always-republican USA.

In other words, empires in the day of monarchy were expansive monarchies, and empires in the day of republicanism are expansive republics.

I love how I'm still freaking out but will jump at the chance to argue about pedantics online. It's nice to feel normal, I guess!

I was in my bed, reading Worm fanfiction