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Oh I don't think there ever is a profit fighting for something, sacrifice for sure, but no profit. It is the classic question be it fighting to create a new nation or restoring law and order after a huge disaster versus pulling back and waiting for the dust to settle.
I dunno about human nature, on the one hand so many decry the 'taker' mentality and the slow slide to chaos many think will cause this collapse of order, yet somehow believe in human nature. I guess the idea is those who survive and manage to cobble together some sort of order will be of a certain mindset and that human nature is what it meant.
How it all ends up-
I guess a lot depends on what started the mess. I see many collapses with only the cockroaches surviving. many diseases leaving so few survivors civilization is firmly set back. Funny thing about plagues is depending on how it is transmitted survivalists might be more at risk than more 'urban' folks. The Black Plague wiped out many isolated villages, got past guards at the town gate who turned away human carriers but of course couldn't stop rats. rather large population concentrations survived- monasteries among the most common due to better hygiene, cleanliness and grain storage so rats and fleas were not so common.
My backround is grunt. For me numbers count, a base to operate from matters and a mix of skills in the group an asset. I can see certain farm communities being strong points for what is left of civilization to cling to. These days crops like corn, and wheat are stored in elevators until right before the new harvest- highest price is right before harvest and many elevators keep at least half capacity in old crop to take advantage of that pricing. So these places will have a strong bargaining chip in trade, gaining 'troops' for defense and paying outlying farmstead outposts to be manned as an outer perimeter and guard stations to help protect the cropland. these communities have rather healthy amounts of fuel in storage vs the population due to the needs of modern agriculture so that is a plus. The farm supply stores have barbed wire and T-posts to help fortify the town, small welding/repair shops to fabricate fixtures for the strongpoints and perhaps a few 'tin-clad' vehicles.
The ability both in supplies and equipment to build fortifications, supplies to last through a lean time for food, a cadre population with a strong attachment to the town and surrounding areas, the ability to sort through refugees to decide who can help in the town defense...
Politically I see a far less democratic form but still not 'martial', more like an EYE-talian city state where a gaggle of rich old men and their families run the town with outlying 'barons' formed from the larger farmer clans we have around here. There is a grandfather with at least 3 of his sons living within eyesight of each other out there, a nice repair shop and rather large grain storage, equipment to build strongpoints, local fuel storage....
ahhh not that I have given this much thought ya understand...
I agree with much of what you say except I think there are alot of bad people that would take the breakdown of law and order as an opportunity to live as takers. There would also be good people who would ban together to fight off the looter gangs and do their best to restore law and order but the ensuing battle between the two forces could last quite some time. I also think you would be far better off in a rural area than an urban one where gangs and criminals are barely kept in check even now.