Franklin's wit here masks something subtler than mere military strategy—he's describing how institutional decay works through neglect rather than dramatic collapse. We tend to imagine empires falling to frontal assault, yet he saw that the real danger lies in those marginal territories where commitment weakens and attention drifts. Consider how modern organizations often crumble not when their core mission fails, but when they stop maintaining the branch offices, regional teams, and peripheral partnerships that once held everything together. The insight cuts deeper than geography: it's about how power requires constant, unglamorous maintenance at every border, no matter how distant.