4salt,

No, I think they knew the importance of diologue before they took up Arms. You forget that the armed forces are made up of citizens and would be very reluctant to use it's might against it's own. If they did 10 ,20,30 million gun toting civillians could put a serious dent in any army. We would have no trouble resupplying ourselves and they would be operating from islands under siege. They would last 6 months at most.