I would also like to believe that the American people would stand up and control the government, but society is no longer like it was in the 1960's, and besides, if the people resist/stand up, we'll just all be thrown in detention camps where they'll have Blackwater waterboard us and use their zappers on us.
There's a new weapon that is being used in Iraq ("experimental") that is an electronic particle beam that melts/explodes the target, but there is also a smaller one being developed to be put on rifles for riot control (it's not like the 60's anymore).