Is a State Just an Empire in Modern Clothing?

i was reminded of the concept of internal colonialism, i'm sure you're very familiar with it. It's a question of differential development of regions as the state tends to plough resources into some regions over others. One of the striking things that happens in the roman empire is they extend citizenship across the whole empire. And immediately new categories emerge, the onestiores and humiliores,. Ah, which is just to say, like the rich and well connected and everyone else. I think you end up in a question of definitions, and perhaps an unhelpful one, in trying to figure out if we are states or empires.