the obsession with the apocalypse in the american subconscious is about the ability to reconquer the same territory that's already been conquered, turning land that's been stolen and paved over and turning every inch of it into the frontier once more, ready to be stolen and paved over all over again. it's about willing the death of billions so that manifest destiny can be achieved from the comfort of your hometown. this is why there are so many post-apocalyptic remakes of oregon trail
Expanding on this: it's also why you see so many post-apoc things where it's a small group of people against the world (which all seems to be made of monsters or raiders or bandits). It's frontier/colonial mindset all the way down
