Originally Posted by The_Jazz

OK, color me confused. If the government is actively arresting those who are plotting the violent overthrow of the government, how do those folks NOT qualify as terrorists or rebels? It seems by their very definition they would be at least be rebels. There is specific language in the Constitution that allows the government to protect itself from insurrection, and anyone planning to violently overthrow the government would, fundamentally, be a rebel. Yes, they would still be American citizens, but they're no more worthy of Constitutional rights than a common criminal. In fact, they would only deserve those rights that criminals are afforded.

I agree that if an organized insurrection somehow magically appeared on the scene, the death toll would be horrendous. However, it's not going to appear out of thin air, would likely not be very organized, and would certainly be doomed to failure from the very start. Air superiority alone would dictate that most of the rebels wouldn't survive the initial attack, and you're presupposing an American government that's so vastly unpopular with its citizens that a significant minority decide to risk their lives, comfort and livelyhood to rebel. So long as Americans are placated with cheap goods, readily available entertainment and the ability to live their lives largely as they see fit, no rebellion is imminent. There will always be fringe groups unhappy with the status quo, but personally I file them all under "nut jobs". No offense intended.