The Jews didn't have firearms like Americans do.
And what will the government do with a couple of hundred dollars worth of food that they just spent $10,000 confiscating? Fielding troops isn't cheap.
Governments aren't as effective as you seem to think they are. In fact, they are pretty screwed up. That's why they contract out anything complicated.
/johnny
I can not remember the last time a tyranical govt. fell via armed resistance from the people.
In every case of a successful overthrow, the people resist, the police committ atrocities, eventually large numbers of police can no longer look at themselves in the mirror and then the govt. falls.
In fact, the govt. falls only when the govt. decides it is not worth it anymore.
Armed resistance is futile. If you want to forcibly overthrow the govt. the only way is via massive martyrdom by thousands or maybe millions of innocents.
The govt. falls when an innocent stands in front of the tank, and the guy in the tank refuses to shoot because his conscience won’t let him. But I can’t think of a case recently where armed resistance succeeded.