The Committee to Restore the United States of America (CRUSA) is a non-government organization dedicated to the re-establishment of the United States of America.
CRUSA was founded in 1995, shortly after President Bush's statement that American expatriates and forces should become a part of Australian culture. The founding members were American expatriates living in Australia who opposed the Continuity Act believing that President Bush lacked the authority to make the decision to suspend the Constitution, even in the post-Doomsday world. One of the first major acts of CRUSA was to oppose the referendum in the remaining territories under the American Provisional Administration. However, as the organization had about 30 members at the time and was based entirely in Australia their effect was minimal.
From 1996 to 2006, CRUSA membership grew in Australia and other places where there were large numbers of Americans. CRUSA established "chapters" to act to better provide contact to Americans in different parts of the world. Three were established in the Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand, specifically in the cities of Canberra, Brisbane, and Wellington. The chapter at Canberra became the headquarters of CRUSA. Chapters were also established in Micronesia, Samoa, and Marshall Islands. There were failed attempts to establish chapters in Hawaii and Alaska, a crushing blow to the moral of CRUSA who hoped to have a presence in the former American states. The Hawaii attempt was a particular setback as it led to fighting between CRUSA agents and local police.
Plans were originally made to establish a chapter in Aroostook. However, the cost of the project eventually caused future expansion in the area to be shelved for the time being.
Despite CRUSA's expansion, it remained on the fringe of local politics with a minority of Americans claiming membership in the organization.
Foothold in AmericaEdit
With the establishment of Municipal States of the Pacific in 2006 there was a growing movement inside CRUSA to establish a chapter on the continental USA. Instability in the region, however, held off such an undertaking until 2009 when the first CRUSA chapter was opened in Crescent City, MSP. The MSP has taken up much of CRUSA's focus since the establishment, with a significant portion of its budget directed toward its activities in the MSP. Currently they hope to encourage a stronger central government among the MSP, but have down played their ultimate goal of re-establishing the United States for fear of alienating to powerful civic leaders in the region. CRUSA has offered financial support to MSP leaders in favor of a stronger central government and free classes on American history to the general public. In support of these goals, CRUSA has built strong ties with the Jefferson Nationalists, a local political party that also wants to create a strong central government for the MSP.
CRUSA was also an enthusiastic supporter of the Field Expedition, hoping the exploration of the interior of the continental United States would bring new survivor communities into contact with the rest of the world. With the discovery of the North American Union, the Republic of Superior and Utah, there was hope to increase the CRUSA presence in the interior of North America. More recent discoveries of surviving city-states and republics in the southern and midwestern United States - and that a number of people still considered themselves U.S. citizens first and foremost - have emboldened the CRUSA, at least in the ANZC.
The Republic of South Florida has fully financed a chapter in Naples. These funds come mainly come from citizen donations and government surpluses.
CRUSA was created for the primary purpose to re-establish the United States of America as a viable and stable nation-state reunited with all of its former territories. In furtherance of this goal they attempt to protect and promote American culture, history, and values. They also finance any American politician or organization who follows their agenda.
Chapter houses act as regional centers to promote the goals of CRUSA, while also providing services to any Americans in the area.
CRUSA is financed mostly from membership dues and donations, particularly from the estates of deceased members.
The main criticism of CRUSA is the questionable need to bring back the United States. Since 1983 there has been a considerable cultural and economic divergence between Americans surviving in the ANZC commonwealth, on the American mainland, and in Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Critics say that uniting these now different people into one single country would be a forced and unstable union. Some also suggest that bringing back the United States would destroy each surviving community's sense of self-determination, and instead advocate independence for these different regions from each other.
CRUSA supporters, however, say that all Americans share a common history and values with each other, and that the cultural differences between the American refugees are largely exaggerated. They also state that the economic problems would be better solved if a single American government could coordinate economic corporation between the survivors. CRUSA states that the principles the U.S is founded on are the most fair and just in the world, and that bring them back will only enhance the people's chance for prosperity and democracy.
CRUSA has been targeted by critics for having a right-wing, anti-Commonwealth political platform. CRUSA counters by pointing out they have always been supporters of democracy and bringing back the United States will not be a threat to the Commonwealth's rule or its principles. Several state that the entire goal of CRUSA, while just, is impossible or nonviable given the huge logistics and resources it would take to form a new country in a post-doomsday world. The media of several countries have agreed with this and derided CRUSA for their "sad devotion" to a lost cause. Many CRUSA supporters counter this with their often used slogan: "America will rise again!" The Virginians have compared the CRUSA to the pre-Doomsday neo-Confederates.