While they probably would have disagreed about everything else, I think Montesquieu would have agreed with Mao’s statement that political power grows from the barrel of a gun. In Montesquieu 's day the numbers of armed civilians would have easily eclipsed any slight edge in technology and tactics that the military would have. Today however, even if we had every citizen pick up an AR-15, it would be insignificant to the bombs and missiles and artillery the military could field. The consent of the governed is no longer needed.