Michael,

The war is war statement you often hear repeated isn't from an anti-intellectual crowd. I think if you research the origins of it more closely you'll find that those who propose this idea argue that the nature of war remains consistent over time, while the character of war varies considerably. I don't know any serious military officers or civilian strategists who claim that the character of insurgency and so called conventional war are the same. I think if you're going to challenge the statement (and I have several times, but in general, again based on interpretation, it is a rather sound argument) you have to understand what it implies. Granted there are many who simply say it casually, just as they quote Clausewitz and Sun Tzu casually with no real understanding.