You do realize that, if SHTF like we all are talking about here, the vast majority of that "enemy" you talk of will be wearing blue uniforms and badges?
Some things bear repetition, so here is what I see:
Barring special strategic reasons, those in power (TIP) will always do what they can to gain voluntary compliance in avoidance of unnecessary violence and outright warfare. Violence is inherently non-linear and wise men understand well that even the most seemingly innocuous violence can run beyond the boundaries of acceptability and cause undesirable effects. Keeping the cattle under control using the least force necessary is usually the best approach, especially in this age of mechanized mass politics.
But if things take a turn where violence is either desired or has erupted beyond one's control, then I believe the best strategy in the context of mechanized political control is to recruit manpower from the ranks of the cattle themselves. The best way that I can see for accomplishing this is to bring conditions to such a
controlled pass that normal everyday living becomes sufficiently difficult that the most desperate and frightened become readily willing to trade their fealty and blind service for meals and shelter. For the right personalities, there will also be that sense of being "in" - part of something greater than themselves, what with the uniform, the training, the indoctrination, the authority, the adrenaline, the newfound sense of purpose and safety and of having gotten theirs.
Such people, our former neighbors, stand on the whole to become the most vicious enemies imaginable. It is an old saw as perennial as the grasses. We were treated to penultimate examples of this throughout the 20th century, first with the Soviets and their synthetic culture of ingrained squealing, neighbor against neighbor. Then Uncle Adolph and his jack-boot battalion pretty well followed suit to the point you even had Jews ratting out their own in trade for some meager benefit. Then the pervert Mao in China showed us yet another march down that path with a string of lesser tyrants and butchers following the same formula of turning neighbors against each other.
Divide.
Conquer.
And yet for all the technology-enabled and
EASILY HAD history available to us, it appears we are still more than willing to fall for this old trick and I think it speaks very directly to the basic nature of the human animal. We are readily drawn from our principles, such as they may be individually, for the sake of pretty things, for ease, for comfort. Anything if SOMEONE will ease our burdens and give us free stuff. This is the hazard that the principled man has always faced in relation to those around him of lesser fabric.
The real problem in all of this will be the sheer numbers.
Recall the days when the "government" was stockpiling cheese and butter through farm subsidies? Remember how stupid and pointless it all seemed? What if there was another purpose behind it; a strategic purpose for the rainy day either they saw as inevitable or knew would be brought artificially to bear upon the people of this nation? In a time where food has suddenly become notably and perhaps frighteningly unavailable, huge stocks of such proteins and fats would come in very hand to a government looking to buy the loyalties of hungry and frightened people. There is probably a lot of those life-sustaining commodities on tap, which would feed a huge army of new volunteers long enough to get a big job done. In such a case, it would be we who have paid for the rope to be put around our own necks. Just something to think about.
Sound political strategy runs deeply and with a subtlety most people simply
refuse to take in, much less consider, and far less so to accept. Thereby do the seekers and cultivators of power proceed, confounding the common man utterly and leaving him to shriek "conspiracy nut" to anyone raising such issues as this.