today, it's highly unlikely that an armed civilian population could defeat the current us military and government. civilians don't have access to powerful military equipment like apache helicopters, and most people aren't physically fit for sustained combat. the best-case scenario would be a long and brutal civil war, similar to syria's, where civilians would still face an uphill battle. even looking at examples like vietnam or the taliban, us insurgents would likely suffer heavy losses over time. some argue that if parts of the military joined the civilian insurgency, guns might not be as necessary. however, it's important to remember that if a tyrannical government emerged, it might not hesitate to target large cities, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. tyrannical governments worldwide have shown a willingness to disregard civilian casualties, so the threat of a tyrannical us government should not be underestimated. while history shows that armed populations have resisted tyranny, it's essential to recognize that success often depended on outside help. for instance, nazi germany, vichy france, and occupied poland had resistance fighters, but they were ultimately defeated by equivalent foreign militaries, not just local efforts. regarding the vietcong, although they used guerrilla warfare successfully against the us military, it's important to note that they suffered significant casualties for each us soldier they targeted. this highlights the challenges of resisting a powerful military force with guerrilla tactics.
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