(And I should certainly add, it's not like that would put you in some kind of exclusive club. I've never sacrificed a realm I ruled for the fun of the continent, either, nor do I know offhand of anyone who has...but then, I've never been the ruler of the single powerhouse realm of a continent in a time when that continent was in crisis. If I was, I can't honestly say what my decision would be.)
Merlin did, intentionally or not. Coria perhaps wasn't a powerhouse (though we were on the up & up), but we were an important cog in the machine at the time.
I haven't managed to keep up with the rest of the thread and honestly lack much experience with FEI to go on, but I wanted to give some credit where it's due.