With POD of later than 1900, make USA Join Commonwealth of Nations.
One two conditions:
No ASB and USA has to stay a republic.
One two conditions:
No ASB and USA has to stay a republic.
AHC: Make USA Join Commonwealth of Nations.
- Thread starter Tales Weaver
- Start date
I would highly find it entirely impossible for it to do so if it remained a republic and with ASB magic. Seriously.
Still wouldn't be possible for the US even if it stayed a Republic. The politics of the US would literally would prevent it from joining the Commonwealth of Nations especially the formerly conservative Democratic Party.
Nevertheless the USA is entitled to apply for membership in it's own right without special provisions such as applied to Rwanda and Mozambique. Being a republic is no bar. As to the law and constitution within the USA then that is an internal matter for them. The Queen, as the Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, has no power at all whereas the Head of the United Nations does have debatable powers yet that is not a bar to the USA being a member of the United Nations.
I think the geopolitical reality post-WW2 would have to be pretty different from OTL in order for the US to want to join the Commonwealth.
As it stands, the US would probably just view Commonwealth membership as one more opportunity to show up at international gatherings and get into shouting matches with anti-American third-world governments, in exchange for...well, not a whole helluva lot.
The only real benefit I could see is if the UK retained its status as the major global power, to which the US would see benefit in brown-nosing. Paradoxically, this scenario might also allow the Americans to appeal to the global-south as the benevolent "Not Britain" western industrialized country in the Commonwealth, sort of like Canada did under Diefenbaker and later Mulroney during the fight against apartheid.
Basically, you'd need a world where Britain is more like the OTL US, and the US is more like the OTL Canada.
As it stands, the US would probably just view Commonwealth membership as one more opportunity to show up at international gatherings and get into shouting matches with anti-American third-world governments, in exchange for...well, not a whole helluva lot.
The only real benefit I could see is if the UK retained its status as the major global power, to which the US would see benefit in brown-nosing. Paradoxically, this scenario might also allow the Americans to appeal to the global-south as the benevolent "Not Britain" western industrialized country in the Commonwealth, sort of like Canada did under Diefenbaker and later Mulroney during the fight against apartheid.
Basically, you'd need a world where Britain is more like the OTL US, and the US is more like the OTL Canada.
Well, if places like Kenya, whose founders within living memory a war against the Empire, can stomach a Queen-led Commonwealth, it possibly might not be too bitter a pill for the Yanks to swallow.
Though perhaps Americans are more wrapped up in their identity as a republic than are various third-world arrivistes? Plus, I'm assuming the third-world Commonwealth states get some sort of financial or at least material benefit from being members, which probably helps the medicine go down in at least a slightly more delightful way.
I get the point but a big part of the CoN (or was anyway) for developing countries was some material/cultural/financial links with the much richer Britain and 'White Dominions'. Whereas even in a TL where Britain is dominant, there's only so much lesser the US can be so symbolic issues matter, also I'd argue for countries like Kenya it was a fight against the Empire which has now become the lovely CoN, while America's creation myth is very much about Evil King George. Unless we're looking at a really messed up America but then into extra butterflies. Dunno, maybe it goes USSA but even worse something of a diplomatic pariah, the rump reformed America is desperate to reach out internationally and takes CoN membership as part of a bridge building thing with other Anglophone democracies?
The Commonwealth is about assorted cultural links in an informal setting for political and trade deals. More cocktail party than United Nations. It lets countries do some negotiating privately without losing face. Not the sort of place to elbow aside your fellow Head of State to get to the front of the photo opportunity like a certain ginger oaf thinks is a good idea. Even the direst dictator there understands how to behave as a gentleman/lady in public. It also gives the sporting world a major international competition between Olympic Games. It doubles up as an anglophone forum even though it has Portuguese and French speaking members. I can't see a reason for the USA to join a fuzzy informal group except to throw it's weight around and lose friends.