I hate that I have to say this, but Abrams is making me wish for more politics in the new Star Wars. Mostly concerning the interactions between the two main factions:
So we have the First Order (referred to henceforth as the First Rodeo) and the Resistance. It seems to me like the First Rodeo is descended from the Empire, or at least its military, though for much of the movie they're attacking rather than defending, which makes me think they started from a much lower position. On the other side of the spectrum, there's the Resistance (referred to henceforth as Revengeance), who always seems to be defending, or at least reacting to the First Rodeo. Plus, they seem connected to the Republic, which I assume is an offshoot of the Empire's government, or of the government of the prequels' Republic. So it makes no sense to me why the Revengeance has such a name, since they seem to be operating in a similar capacity to the GAR or the Imperial Stormtroopers.
So, I'm mostly wondering what things are like in other parts of the galaxy. Is First Rodeo actually winning everywhere else, or is the Revengeance actually smaller than they seem? Do these names make any sense? Are there really any answers at all?