Are the CRM and the Civic Republic Different?
So we have both a Civic Republic and a Civic Republic Military – what, exactly, is their relationship? To pit it as simply as possible: the CR and the CRM are related but not identical. In a fully-functioning Democratic society, the military is closely aligned with civilian leadership. That does not appear to be the case with the CR and the CRM.
The CRM wishes to rebuild society as it was before. To do that, it needs infrastructure, cities, and people. Therefore it established the Civic Republic of Philadelphia and works to keep it safe. Beyond that, however, the CRM consistently goes off and does its own thing. As evidenced by its country-spanning network of bases and helicopters, the CRM doesn’t plan on being confined to only Eastern Pennsylvania.
What’s With The Three-Ring Symbol?
A logo featuring three interlocking rings has accompanied CRM equipment and uniforms ever since the organization was first introduced on The Walking Dead. Viewers of World Beyond know that those three rings are supposed to represent the “Alliance of the Three” made up of the Civic Republic of Philadelphia, a settlement in Omaha, Nebraska, and a settlement in Portland, Oregon.
Connected by the CRM’s military resources, the Alliance of the Three works together to rebuild society. Or at least they did work together until Omaha and its roughly 100,000 citizens were liquidated by the CRM. The three-ring symbol persists though since it’s probably too time-consuming to strike one of those circles off of thousands of consignee jackets.
Is the CRM Evil?
Yeah, the CRM is evil! Didn’t you just read the part where they killed 100,000 people? Granted, the CRM does have a grim rationale for doing everything that it does. In the case of Omaha, CRM leadership reasoned that the settlement wasn’t strong enough to last long term. It had already become a drain on the Civic Republic’s resources and it needed to be cut off like gangrenous limb before the virus of incompetence spread to Philadelphia.
Additionally, the CRM summarily executes all individuals they view as too dangerous and independent, then subjects their zombified bodies to cruel experimentation. The CRM believes it can find a cure for the zombie virus through this, but at a certain point all the cruelty adds up.
