If only there was some way of contiuing policy through some other means...

That's the importance of technology (and arms).

Arms are now, and have been since the days before the ass' jawbone, just a kind of technology. I think increasingly the value lies in technology which doesn't have killing someone as its primary function. That's true for you and me, and it's true for a government that seems perpetually fascinated with "Less Lethal" options.

Electroshock devices have shown the world just how much people will take from their government, if it has almost no chance of killing or visibly scarring them.

If one can enjoy a multi-decade career without making any changes, why worry about making changes?

Because most political jobs pay abysmally, have little job security, and require painful working hours. As such, there aren't many reasons to go into politics beyond wanting to make a change.