I am very disappointed right now. The Resistance, inasmuch as it is the product of Fr. Pfeiffer, is stillborn.
At the risk of offending most of this discussion board:
1) What purpose does the Resistance serve within the overall traditionalist movement?
2) How well does the Resistance serve this purpose?
1. I try to separate the laity from the priests in the Resistance.
As for the priests, the Resistance has been, in my view, their way out of the SSPX. Many priests have left the SSPX over the years for various reasons. I won't evaluate the reasons but this has been one of the more vocal departures, which accounts for why people know more about it.
Judging what I know about most of these situations, this is how many independent chapels develop. When the dust settles, we will probably see most in a permanent location, operating a chapel alone.
As for the laity, some are just following the movement for the time. Others have seen the SSPX at it's best and highest standards, they want a return to those standards. Still some want to preserve the status quo where they are independent of the man they call Pope. Many felt betrayed by Fellay and want the SSPX to return to it's former status and standards. In essence they are resisting the auto-demolition of the SSPX, it isn't coming back. Those who are invested in SSPX are trying to create a replacement or at least contribute to one.
2. The Resistance is trying to preserve the Faith, they love the Church and want to save their souls. The problem is that they can't recreate the SSPX, the other problem is they don't have justification to keep resisting "Rome." They are trying to reconcile contradictory positions, this leads to instability and hurts some of their efforts.