It’s about anxiety management, not real preparedness. As far as I can tell, the majority of “preppers” achieve very little other than making themselves feel as though they’ve gained some control over an inherently unpredictable and uncontrollable world. A minority of preppers who form heavily armed communities and dedicate most of their lives to it do probably have an edge, but luck will still play an enormous factor and they’re sacrificing their lives today for an uncertain future.
My favorite though are the billionaires who think that they wouldn’t be the first against the wall if civilization collapsed, and really believe their holes in New Zealand will be more than their graves. Still, if it makes people feel better and they’re unable or unwilling to address the roots of their fear and anxiety, it’s pretty harmless in most cases.
The people in heavily armed communities generally have not studied the history of the overall survival of isolated enclaves though.
At best, they get left alone till they run out of supplies, but most likely they get wiped out (if they try to not be absorbed) by the most successful group that adopts a mobile strategy.
I mean ISIS literally proved this model works for a very long time: advance and expand using the resources in the areas you take over, and pacify local populations with equal parts savagery and the spoils of war.
A sustainable version still looks the same - join the largest mobile group, and rapidly absorb territory and people until you become self-sustaining hopefully. And then defend if the same way - by staying mobile, but and having reinforcements to call upon.
The US adopted maneuver warfare as a tactical doctrine for a reason.
My favorite though are the billionaires who think that they wouldn’t be the first against the wall if civilization collapsed, and really believe their holes in New Zealand will be more than their graves. Still, if it makes people feel better and they’re unable or unwilling to address the roots of their fear and anxiety, it’s pretty harmless in most cases.