Would Unionism be the perfect ideology for China?

[Strategos' Risk]

Yes, again, I'm making a thread about Ian Montgomerie's hypothetical Unionism (or Absolutism) ideology from his Unification ATL. It's just because it's a very realistic concept, and probably has existed in parts already in OTL (parts of other gov't theories, at least).

I think it would be the perfect 20th century ideology to be taken up by a post-1911 China (just as Communism was taken up eventually in OTL). Basically, "pure" (theoretical) Unionism stresses the need for subservience to the state, that serves and drives all people, which isn't far off from Confucianism in some aspects. Furthermore, it has the whole meritocratic aspect, which is in Confucianism as well. So I think it'd really latch on. A modernized neo-neo-Confucianism with an authoritarian bent wouldn't be too far from Unionism, except for the "ecumenical" aspect (which communism has as well) that stresses the unity of all peoples and the doing away of different cultures.

 

[J_Britt_RSA]

I think you may be onto something there. I would even venture to hypothosize that China might be slowly inching torwards Unionism as it is now.

 

[Hendryk]

I wouldn't go so far as to call it the perfect ideology for China, but it would definitely tie in with many traits of the Confucian ethos. Some elements, however, don't quite fit:

Unionist states are always attempting to export their form of government, either by military conquest or simply installing a friendly regime,

China doesn't usually attempt to export its form of government (the Mao era was an exception), and Confucianism as an ideology was traditionally seen as so evidently superior that all worthy foreigners would spontaneously adopt it without the Chinese having to push it down their throats.

On the individual level, Unionism is characterized by a high level of taxation, a high level of benefits for those unable to work (and government work or makework for those unable to find work), and many nationalized services, but also by laws which favor the government, its nationalized corporations, and its client corporations over the individual worker.

Confucian societies don't consider that providing welfare is necessarily the government's job. People down on their luck are supposed to be taken care of by their families or, failing that, their local communities.

This being said, one can indeed easily imagine an alternate China adopting Unionism as a state ideology.

 

[Max Sinister]

I wonder what'd happen if some westerner who's into Confucianism decides to spread it more actively. It'll be hard to adapt if most people in the west haven't even heard of it! (Feel free to use this as a POD for an FH.)

 

[Strategos' Risk]

China doesn't usually attempt to export its form of government (the Mao era was an exception), and Confucianism as an ideology was traditionally seen as so evidently superior that all worthy foreigners would spontaneously adopt it without the Chinese having to push it down their throats.

Yep. That's because Unionism wouldn't be a Chinese product, rather an ideology that was easy to adapt for Chinese society, so it would entertain certain foreign notions (as they do now with communism), such as spreading their form of government. Anyways, that's just a theoretical point, "real" Unionist regimes are unlikely to follow all of Maxwell Jameson's writings to the letter.

Confucian societies don't consider that providing welfare is necessarily the government's job. People down on their luck are supposed to be taken care of by their families or, failing that, their local communities.

True again.

I wonder what'd happen if some westerner who's into Confucianism decides to spread it more actively. It'll be hard to adapt if most people in the west haven't even heard of it! (Feel free to use this as a POD for an FH.)

I'm thinking of a possible ATL where Unionism grows in the 20th century alongside many different and warring ideologies, including the big three of OTL (liberal democracy, marxist-leninist communism, and various forms of fascism).