Thomas, this is a game this involves consistent change. The reason that ghost acres exist is because the game got to the point in which everyone was allied to everyone and no one was able to get land anymore when 1000 countries were bottom feeding the same 50 untags.
Now, as always, success is largely due to ones ability to gain land. Land trading is not easy, its not cheap, and its just as strategic if not more strategic than bottom feeding.
The majority of major alliances land trade. Whether it is a random land grab or an agreed upon hit, the sole purpose is to gain ghost acres since every hit is going to be retaliated regardless. Using that logic, here is a list of alliances that land trade.
http://alliance.www.earthempires.com/...round=15&ranktype=tnw
Call it what you want to call it, but everyone who is not all explore or purely bottom feeding is doing it. That involves people in every major alliance, EVO, SOL, MD, SoF etc. Finding an alliance that is anti-land trading but makes daily landgrabs which they know will be retaliated is no different. All that means is their adoption process is slower.
I understand you are probably upset that you can't compete with countries that land trade, but I also think you posting on AT about how you don't like it isn't going to get an alliance to try to take down RD or anyone else doing it.
So to sum it up, what I am trying to say is really similar to some others before me. Quit whining.