Actually, he states in the opening paragraph that there are zealots on both sides. When he brought up the defense against government part it was an example of an equally nonsensical argument from the right, and I fully agree with that point. After reading your rebuttal to it in your other post, I think you underestimate the power of the government at this point. The government *could* go "scorched earth" since I'm sure they have plenty of bunkers but let's disregard that for now since it doesn't have to be that drastic. First of all, most people are not armed at all, many are disabled and many are young or very old, so your 300M number is way off. But even if it was 300M armed with assault rifles wtf is that going to do against traditional gunships/airstikes/tanks? Nothing. If the government wanted a takeover it could have it any time it wanted. 300M assault rifles might as well be 300M peashooters.
*sigh* This argument again.
1. Domestic military infrastructure is heavily dependent on civilian infrastructure. See how long tanks and planes operate without fuel.
This isn't some fantasy land, this is how we won the first revolution. When it kicked off, the continentals didn't take the red-coats head-on, they besieged Boston; and it worked.
2. Look at all the trouble we've having in Afghanistan, and then consider that Afghanistan is about the size of Texas. So if Texas and a couple other states were committed...
Nevermind economic warfare. Can you imagine what would happen to food prices everywhere if the bread-basket states rebelled? If they were leveled Russia-in-chechnya style? The public would have little stomach for civil war.
3. Our military is an all-volunteer force sworn to defend the Constitution. Not the Congress, not the President. They are not the government goon squad and if asked to fire on innocents many would defect.
You say the government could, as a matter of physics, wipe out the rebellion. Yeah, for the most Pyrrhic victory the world has ever seen. Such action would also likely only spur further rebellion.
The point is, an armed, committed, organized rebellion of multiple states could quite plausibly defeat the US military as it currently stands.