You can do what you want to do, accomplish what you want to accomplish, attain any reasonable objective ... if you want it, if you will to do it, if you work to do it, over a sufficiently long period of time.
A monarchy is a merchantman, which sails well, but will sometimes strike on a rock and go to the bottom, whilst a republic is a raft which will never sink, but then your feet are always in water.
Putting aside all the fancy words and academic doubletalk, the basic reason for having a military is to do two jobs-to kill people and to destroy the works of man.
Men who have attained things worth having in this world have worked while others idled, have persevered when others gave up in despair, have practiced early in life the valuable habits of self-denial, industry, and singleness of purpose. As a result, they enjoy in later life the success so often erroneously attributed to good luck.