Concealed Weapons (or more specifically, handguns)

[Sithdarth]

And Sith, we can't even prevent supplies from reaching/actually find bin Laden, and Afganistan is a fraction the size of the US. You're underesitmating the resourcefulness of the average guerilla fighter and overestimating the abilities of the military. They can't be everywhere, they can't see everything. Shopkeepers/factory owners can cook their books, instillations take lots of time and resources to build/fortify and can be infiltriated by defectors, etc etc etc. The common person has power over their destiny, and moreso when they're armed.

Its significantly different trying to control what goes on in a foreign country. Especially a country with so little infrastructure in place to help. In places like Afghanistan you might not know where a farm is or what not. While in the US you got all that documentation, local law enforcement (though they might not wholly be with you), nice roads, really good accurate maps, ect.

Not to mention your average US citizen isn't going to be nearly as good at guerrilla warfare as someone that's lived under constant attack from their government. Of course they'd get better with time but only if they lasted that long. (Not to mention the whole time the military is getting better at countering you.)

As for fortifications, its not all that hard. Couple feet of concertina wire and a few Active Denial systems at the corners and you have a pretty well fortified position. There are also these new mortar/mine systems that you can seed around a battle field and they monitor movement and attack. They are really nice in that even if you manage to get close enough to tamper with it they fight back.

Local militia's are much more unlikely to fire on locals, so they'd have to be sent to other regions they'd presumably know less about.

1) Its actually supposed to be the local militias that fight the national government. That was like half the purpose of the 2nd amendment, ie making sure local militias were armed.

2) That sword cuts both ways. The locals fighting the local militia are going to be a worried about hurting neighbors as the local militia. That's even if there is an overriding sense of community in the community anymore. (More and more this seems to be going away.)

I also think you're invisioning this war as a repeat of the Civil War, which may not be the case. Guerilla wars are much more easy to sustain/supply (because everybody is in a small band that can fend/supply/forage for its self) and much much much harder to fight against than a regular army war. We kicked the ever loving crap out of the Iraqi military, but trying to fight people that look just like the regular population is damned near impossible.

Well if it played out in the manor envisioned by the founding fathers it would be rather civil war like. The local militias rising up to overthrow the government and all that.

Also, Guerrilla warfare works great when you are fighting off an invading army its not so good against your own government.

That's not to say it be a totally one sided blood bath. Heck the rebels might even win a battle of two. Over the long term though the military would win. Remember its not like they have anywhere to retreat to or foreign and domestic pressure to pull out.