How many times will you be using a computer that is powerful enough to run C&C4 but doesn't have a persistent internet connection?
The current crop of DRM is horrible (and in my opinion, makes pirating less ethically sketchy), but an always-on internet connection doesn't really seem to be that horrendous to me. Provided that they don't start charging a subscription fee or devaluing players who don't play one (granted, a reasonable concern given EA's track record), the internet connection idea seems to actually provide some benefit to the user, and would probably not be all that intrusive.
If implemented correctly it might make moving around your legally purchased copy to a new computer much easier, for instance, and could probably help cut down on the cheaters present in a lot of online games these days.