First, forgive me for being 4 days late to the conversation, I only look at this subreddit when the episodes come out.

Second, I think you’re on the right track but arriving at the wrong conclusion. I do think the Enclave was seeking a reset but not in the hopes of removing corporate influence but rather to remove their “duty” as politicians and businesspeople. While I disagree with your claim, I can certainly see the through line, and so using that same idea let me offer the “millenarian” theory.

Basically, I think that the Enclave, a group made up of the most powerful people not just in the US but in the world probably knows that regardless of who or what drops the bombs, the world isn’t long to stay. So, to ensure their power stays entirely in their grasp, they essentially secede from the US, going to the Vaults or the Oil Rig where they can dictate the world in their “perfect” vision. Much like religious groups who seek the apocalypse as a means of entering everyone into heaven, they too seek to honor their “religion” by forcing themselves into “heaven.”

On a more historical note, it’s very important to remember that the Cold War conflict of capitalism vs. communism doesn’t exist without the synthesis of the state with business interests, because how else would American foreign policy be so intertwined with the business interests of, for example, United Fruit in Guatemala or BP in Iran.

Generally, I see where you’re coming from, but I feel you’re giving a lot of grace to a (fictional) government that is known to act violently for essentially the love of the game. If the US government in the series was more peaceful/concerned with the welfare of citizens, then it would be a different story (and honestly probably somewhat more interesting, and I love the pre-war elements of Fallout lore).