[XorNot]

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.