Tridemism

Tridemism, more commonly referred to by its full name The Three Principles of the People, is a civically neutral  (later moderately authoritarian), economically variable (depending on time period and faction) ideology inhabiting a moderate position in between the 2 authoritarian quadrants (in its later stage). It is a Chinese ideology which was developed by Sun Yat-sen, meant to bring power and prosperity to China. It is based on three principles, those being Minzu, Minquan and Minsheng, also being the constitutional ideology of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

History and Variants
Tridemism, or the Three Principles of The People, was a nationalist and republican ideology developed by Chinese revolutionary Sun Zhongshan (Sun Yat-sen) during the Xinhai (Tsinghai) Revolution, and was the theory on which the Guomindang (Kuomintang - Chinese Nationalist Party) was based. Under these principles, Sun, the temporary president of the new revolutionary state, ruled the Republic of China, the successor of the last imperial Chinese dynasty of Qing. It was designed to make China a free, happy, and prosperous nation.

The Tongmenghui was established in the US as a secret revolutionary society to overthrow Qing’s rule, expel the Manchus, restore China, establish a democratic republic, and give everyone the land they deserve. The Xinhai Revolution successfully overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established China’s first-ever democratic constitution with full civil rights and democracy. The revolution was, however, short-lived due to the failure of the successor of the Tongmenghui-the Chinese Revolutionary Party to advance north and factionalism. Sun had to resign as the President of the newly established Republic of China and go into exile, which paved the way for the rise of the opportunist Yuan Shikai and his reactionary Beiyang Clique. Yuan Shikai established a de facto absolute monarchy with Chinese theocracy and reactionary social and cultural policies.

Sun suffered several defeats after the Xinhai Revolution as reactionary warlords such as Yuan Shikai and Zhang Zuolin obstructed the democratic and progressive reforms of Sun by all possible means in the aftermath of the revolution. Sun was powerless and upset with the development. With the financial support of the USSR, Sun was again able to rise in Canton with his new political party-the Kuomintang (KMT). During the military conquest of the north by the KMT and the development of the Huangpu Military Academy, Sun developed the idea of a political tutelage of the KMT to transform China into a  modern democratic constitutional country without giving a specific timeframe to end the one-party state tutelage eventually.

But Sun also proposed a democratic constitution of five separation of powers, the first-ever in Chinese history. The constitution is based on a hybrid system with a mixture of Montesquieu’s three separation of powers of the executive, legislative, and judiciary, and two enlightened traditional Chinese institutions. The Examination Yuan is based on the Chinese traditional examination system and the Control Yuan supervisory body of the ‘Board of Public Censors’ in Chinese dynasties of advisors giving Chinese emperors counsel.

[[File:RightKMT.png]] Right-Wing Kuomintang [[File:ChiangKaiShek.png]][[File:Huhanmin.png]][[File:Chiang-Ching-kuo.png]]
The right KMT was officially formed after the cleansing against communists and communist sympathizers in the KMT in 1927 known as the ‘Shanghai Massacre’, the start of the so-called ‘white terror’. In addition, the white terror's primary targets were those who advocated the Soviet model of government and radicalism such as Wang Ming and  Mao Zedong. Democratic socialists such as Chen Duxiu who advocated for peace and compromise with the KMT were largely spared by the Right KMT's authroitarian regime.

The most prominent figures of Right KMT were Chiang Kai-shek,  Hu Hanmin and his Western Hills Group (before his imprisonment), and  Chiang Ching-kuo. The right KMT took a more,  socially conservative and authoritarian party line than the original KMT, but it continued Sun’s Georgist economic policies in Taiwan after it was defeated by the  communists in Mainland China. It is also very anti-Japanese and Chinese nationalist in general.

Chiang’s government continued Northern Expedition after splitting with communists in 1925 and unified China under the Nationalist Government in 1928 (Only nominally). A period of prosperity and modernization was experienced in China during the Nanking decade with the modernization of infrastructure and a focus on light industries such as the cotton industry, airlines, highways, and factories. China also had increased education, with schools built nationwide under the nationalist rule. However, the achievement was somewhat limited as the nationalists only had limited control over the country, with warlords having de facto control over most parts of China and a raging communist rebellion.

Reactionary practices such as foot-binding, polygamy, and child marriage were strictly prohibited and enforced by the Nationalist government for social progress. But the nationalists under Chiang were worried that westernization could impede and diminish the positive aspects of Chinese traditions, such as gender roles, family values, morals, and ethics. Therefore, the nationalist regime started a. Many scholars have described this movement as Neo-Confucianist. Chiang also turned further nationalistic and grew interested in the government systems of  Nazi Germany,  Fascist Italy, and  Kemalist Turkey. The Chinese Blue Shirt Society was founded in 1932 by Dai Li as an experiment that modeled the Black Shirts paramilitary wing of the Italian Fascist Party with a slogan of ‘One Doctrine, One Party, and One Leader’ with strong anti-Japanese and anti-western/American sentiments. The organization was disbanded in 1938 as Chiang moved away from fascist influence due to the deterioration of the relationship between China and the Axis due to Japanese’s invasion of China.

The Japanese invasion was reliving for the communists strategically as the second United Front was formed between the nationalists and the communists. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, major battles were fought between the nationalists and the Japanese, with 3.8 million-10 million Chinese soldiers perishing or injured to defend China from Japan’s genocidal fascist regime. The Japanese side also suffered heavy losses, with 2.2 million casualties from the Japanese invasion forces and 1 million from the collaborators. The international community only diplomatically condemned Japan and gave China minimum financial support until the US entered the war in 1941. The communists made minimum efforts to resist the invasion and instead focused on building their forces and fighting nationalist troops.

China’s post-war partial transition towards democracy in 1947 followed the global wave of democratic changes in previously non-aligned authoritarian countries such as Turkey, Brazil, and Greece, further shifting the KMT’s ideology from fascist-alike extreme nationalism back to Sun’s democratic socialism with the crackdown of capitalists in Shanghai, price controls, monetary reforms, and an expansion of workers’ rights.

After the KMT retreated to Taiwan, its ideology shifted to Pro-American authoritarian capitalism, along with many dictatorial regimes such as  Francoist Spain,  Ilminist Korea, and  Kenan Evren’s Turkey. However, Sun’s principle of Georgism was still preserved by the nationalists. Land reform was successfully implemented in Taiwan. Along with state planning policies of technocrats such as Yen Chia-kan, and  Chiang Ching-Kuo's Soviet-inspired planning policies, the Gini index of Taiwan was brought down from 0.52 in the Japanese colonial era to just 0.28 during the nationalist rule, and the lower 40% income group doubled their income share to 22% of total income with the income share of the upper 20% shrunk from 61% to 39%. Taiwan also experienced a period of prosperity and rapid growth that topped in Asian four tigers, albeit with the most egalitarian developmental model due to the socialist ideology of Kuomintang.

Before the fall of Mainland China into communist hands, the nationalists drafted a new constitution with independent democrats and opposition parties such as CDSP (China Democratic Socialist Party) and China Youth Party. A comprehensive constitutional draft of civil rights, minority rights, and women’s rights based on Sun’s Five-Power separation proposal was established.

Most of the provisions were, however, suspended in Taiwan with martial law declared as the nationalists saw Taiwan as a temporary base to retake Mainland China. The nationalists became more brutal and dictatorial in Taiwan than in Mainland China. The nationalist regime increased press censorship and control over civil activities to counter communist infiltration, and the police state was also expanded. A notorious incident was the 228 Incident with atrocities committed by the nationalist government, although the Fujian Governor Chen Yi responsible for this incident was later executed for committing the atrocities after the nationalists retreated to Taiwan. However, some provisions of the constitution such as local elections, women’s rights and parliamentary quotas were upheld by the nationalist regime despite the martial law in place.

After the death of Chiang Kai-shek in Taiwan, the Chinese nationalist KMT regime began to relax its political restrictions and to improve its civil rights and freedoms under the reforms of Chiang Ching-kuo. In 1986, the Democratic Progressive Party was formed as a real opposition party, which Chiang Ching-kuo did not try to shut down.

[[File:RevRightKMT.png]] Revisionary Right-Wing KMT
Since the 1992 Consensus, KMT in Taiwan no longer adheres to many original principles of Tridemism due to the structural reforms of the party implemented by Lee Teng-hui, as they no longer believe in Georgism. This might be the reason why the rent in Taiwan is very high.

There are claims (usually by the Pan-Green) that modern KMT supports the  CCP, with the former claiming to support  Hong Kong democracy protests and Taiwan's friendly relationship with the  USA, but in actuality they do nothing except Chiang Uan-an (search his Chinese Wikipedia).

When it comes to economics, they're more aligned with the DPP, as both leans neoliberal and laissez-faire capitalist economics, although the KMT tends to be more statist and socially oriented. Revisionaries are now more focused on economic growth rather than equality.

Overall, their policies are inconsistent and constantly changing.

[[File:LeftKMT.png]] Left-Wing Kuomintang [[File:ChenDuxiu.png]][[File:Mao.png]][[File:RCCK.png]]
After the end of World War II, the relationship between the Chinese Kuomintang and the CPC, who had allied to fight the  Japanese, became increasingly tense; ultimately, both sides restarted the civil war, which World War II had interrupted.

In 1945 and 1946, members of the Kuomintang's left wing formed the Three People's Confederation of Comrades and the China Nationalist Democratic Promotion Association in Chongqing and Guangzhou, respectively.

In November 1947, the first joint representative meeting of the Kuomintang left was held in Hong Kong; on 1 January 1948, the meeting announced the official establishment of the, and nominated Soong Ching-ling, the widow of Sun Yat-sen, as the Honorary Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee (despite Soong Ching-ling never formally joining the commission).

To this day, it remains as one of PRC's eight "Democratic Parties" (民主黨派) and despite having seats in People's Assembly, it barely has any actual political power and often mocked as nothing but a decoration to maintain PRC's claim that they're a multi-party system and is running under a certain form of consociationalim.

[[File:3princLib.png]] Liberal Tridemism
Liberal Tridemism is an ideology that mixes Tridemism (Mainly Original Tridemism and Right-KMT). It strongly opposes Dengism and the PRC, and supports liberal democracy, human rights, and civil liberties. Examples are Xin Haonian, the banned Union of Chinese Nationalists in Mainland China and  Hong Kong Pro-KMT Camp.

However, this ideology has drawn some controversies within the pan-Chinese liberal circles due to its support and defense of Chiang Kai-shek and his authoritarian Nationalist government on many occasions.

[[File:Civnat.png]] 民族 Mínzú (Nationalism)
Roughly translates to Civic Nationalism, this principle states that China must be independent from all  Imperialist influence and oppression, which can be achieved by developing "China-nationalism" as opposed to  ethnic nationalism, uniting Han, Manchus, Mongols and Tibetans, as well as Muslims in China (although this part is arguable since in practice its usually Han hegemony because Sun Yat-sen promoted the  idea of Chinese minorities gradually assimilating into the Han culture within the Chinese national framework)

[[File:Dem.png]] 民權 Mínquán (Democracy)
Roughly translates to Civil Rights, this principle stated that instead of having an Emperor to rule China, all Chinese people should be his own Emperor under a democratic system, which citizens have the right to vote and influence politic via democratic means. It also added two more branches--Control Yuan and Examination Yuan -- to more commonly adapted tripartite of power separation due to China's political tradition.

[[File:Soc.png]] 民生 Mínshēng (Socialism)
Roughly translates to "Doctrine of Livelihood", or Socialism more broadly. While Sun Yat-sen stated in a 1924 speech that "Mínshēngism" is Socialism." and even at times calls his proposed policies Communist, he was opposed to the  Marxist definitions of "class struggle" and "surplus value" as well as  Russian style communism, saying "The Soviet system in Russia is not pure communism but Marxism — and Marxism is not communism; the real communism comes from Proudhon and Bakunin."

Sun Yat-sen instead defined Mínshēng as a doctrine of "people's livelihood, social existence, national economy, and group life." (ibid)

In practice it mostly focused on land distribution and monopoly issues, observing that:

Sun Yat-sen proposed to solve this with a land value tax, inspired by Henry George:

How to Draw
Tridemism_flag1.svg The flag of Tridemism is based on the "Blue Sky and White Sun flag" (青天白日旗), which is the party flag of the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the naval jack of the Republic of China Navy.
 * 1) Draw a triangle,
 * 2) Fill it with blue,
 * 3) Draw a white circle in the middle,
 * 4) Draw 12 sunrays in white along the outside of it,
 * 5) Add the eyes and you're done!


 * Note: Social media platforms in China banned the usage of the Flag of Kuomintang, therefore for the censored version, replace the Kuomintang flag with the five-colour flag of the Republic of China, used between 1912-1928, representing the Five Races Under One Union principle.

Relationships
As Tridemism was separated with both left-wing factions (Especially the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang - RCCK) and right-wing factions, Tridemism's relationship between several ideologies was mixed due to factional differences.

朋友 (Friends)

 * [[File:Georgist.png]] Georgism - Your idea of a land value tax is the backbone of my economic system.
 * [[File:Kemal.png]] Kemalism - We both arose from similar conditions in our home countries, and we both believe in populism and a social economy, but differ on how it's funded. You was also my role model of revolution and national salvation to study from.
 * [[File:Christsoc.png]] 基督教社會主義 - Dr. Sun Yat-sen was a devout Christian and a socialist. But still, religion and the state should be separate.
 * [[File:WelfChauvin.png]] Welfare Chauvinism - He's almost as radical as Fascism, but I still like him.
 * [[File:Socauth.png]] 社會威權主義 - Only the political tutelage of the KMT can lead this nation towards the glorious path of modernization and constitutionalism.
 * [[File:Fem.png]] 女權主義 - If this is how our country can be modernized, I'm all for it I guess.
 * [[File:Welf.png]] Welfarism - Welfare for my people!
 * [[File:Long.png]] Longism - This American has some good ideas.
 * [[File:Orthlen.png]] 列寧主義 - Thanks for helping me reform my party and found Whampoa Military Academy.
 * [[File:Mao.png]] 毛澤東思想 ([[File:LeftKMT.png]] Left-Wing KMT and [[File:RCCK.png]] RCCK) - Good chap Mao! Wish [[File:ChiangKaiShek.png]] Chiang didn't ruin everything!
 * [[File:Strato.png]] 軍國主義 ([[File:RightKMT.png]] Right-Wing KMT) - 反攻大陸！消滅朱毛！ Did you really have to lock up Hu Hanmin?
 * [[File:Necrocracy.png]] Necrocracy [[File:Necro-ghost.png]] - 恭讀《國父遺囑》！
 * [[File:Consocf.png]] 保守社會主義 - The CDSP was epic and it helped to write my constitution. Yan Xishan is also kinda based.

半敵半友 (Frenemies)

 * [[File:Illum.png]] 光明會主義 - Uhhhhh... hi, fellow... triangle.
 * [[File:Nation.png]] 民族主義 - 中華民族團結起來—— 慢著，您説台灣、 蒙古 、新疆及西藏非中華民族是什麽意思？(ALL CHINESE UNITE!!!! wait, what do you mean Taiwanese, Mongols, Uyghurs and Tibetan are not Chinese?)
 * [[File:Nazi.png]] 納粹主義 - How can I be your ally when you're an ally of that [[File:Showa.png]] Japanese devil? I’ll declare war on you too! Thanks for the equipment and advisors. Chiang Wei-kuo was also serving as an officer during his military service in Germany during the Sino-German Cooperation.
 * [[File:Fed.png]] 聯邦主義 - Thanks for the support in overthrowing [[File:Cball-Qing.png]] Qing, but sorry, your ideal was just encouraging those warlords. What China needs is unity under my- erm, I mean, one banner!
 * [[File:Cap.png]] 資本主義 - FILTHY MERCHANTS! YOU EXPLOIT THE PEOPLE! .....then again, it wouldn't be possible for revolution to succeed without all the investments from Chinese merchants that supporting my ideal......
 * [[File:Dengf.png]] 中國特色社會主義 ([[File:RevRightKMT.png]] Revisionary Right KMT) - Stop saying I'm now his pet! I'm just pro-Chinese unity! 感謝您的支持，我們絕對不讓這些塔綠班勝選!
 * [[File:Conlib.png]] 保守自由主義 - Just shut up already and keep up with me Hu Shih!!
 * [[File: Necon.png]] Neoconservatism - Thanks for your aids and support but why do you always backstab me?

敵人 (Enemies)

 * [[File:Chine.png]] Chinese Theocracy and [[File:Reactcross.png]] Reactionarism - THE ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE! YOU MUST BE SNUFFED OUT FOR CHINA TO SUCCEED!
 * [[File:YuanShikai.png]] Yuan Shikai Thought - My mortal enemy, you are a reactionary warlord opportunist who ruined Xinhai Revolution and turned China into a kleptocratic autocracy. You are the reason why China descended the Warlord Era, and I had to launch several revolutions to retake it. I f*cking hate you!
 * [[File:Sep.png]] Separatism - REEEE warlords! Don't you realize China is supposed to be united?! Also, stop encouraging those Taiwan independence movements! How are we going to retake the mainland if I lose my final base?! Well I'll have Kinmen and Matsu then
 * [[File:PanGreenTW.png]] 台獨份子 - Pan-green cucks! 1450水軍！塔綠班！綠色恐怖！Taiwanese are Chinese!
 * [[File:Strato.png]] 軍國主義 ([[File:LeftKMT.png]] Left-Wing KMT and RCCK [[File:RCCK.png]]) - F**k YOU CHIANG KAI-SHEK! YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!
 * [[File:Showa.png]] 日本帝國主義 - RAPIST MURDERING C*NT. YOU WANT A THIRD FOURTH NUCLEAR EXPLOSION ON YOUR CLAY? #NeverForgetNanjing
 * [[File:Mao.png]] 毛澤東思想 (Except for [[File:LeftKMT.png]] Left-Wing KMT and [[File:RCCK.png]] RCCK that supports Mao) - YOU KILLED AT LEAST 40 MILLION PEOPLE! MY PEOPLE! PREPARE TO BE ELIMINATED. Also, Without the Nationalist Party, there would be no China.
 * [[File:Dengf.png]] 中國特色社會主義 ([[File:RightKMT.png]] Right-Wing KMT & [[File:3princLib.png]] Liberal Tridemism) - DEATH TO TRAITORS!
 * [[File:Ethnonat.png]] Ethnic Nationalism - I enacted a quota system for ethnic minorites such as Tibetans and Uyghurs and later Indigenous Taiwanese as part of my educational policy.

Literature

 * The Three Principles of the People (1924) by Sun Yat-Sen
 * The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-Shek and the Struggle for Modern China by Jay Taylor
 * The Generalissimo's Son: Chiang Ching-Kuo and the Revolutions in China and Taiwan by Jay Taylor

Wikipedia

 * Kuomintang
 * Three Principles of the People
 * Tongmenghui
 * Revive China Society
 * [[File:RCCK.png]] Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK)
 * [[File:ChiangWeiShui2.png]] Taiwanese People's Party
 * [[File:Cball-HongKong.png]] Pro-KMT camp [[File:3princLib.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-China.png]] Union of Chinese Nationalists [[File:3princLib.png]]
 * [[File:Soc.png]] Socialist ideology of the KMT

People

 * [[File:Sun Yat-Sen.png]] Sun Yat-sen
 * [[File:Strato-Antifurry.png]] Huang Xing
 * [[File:Liberal Democracy.png]] Song Jiaoren
 * [[File:Fem.png]] Qiu Jin
 * [[File:YanXishan.png]] Yan Xishan
 * Fang sheng dong

[[File:LeftKMT.png]] Left-Wing KMT

 * [[File:Wang Jingwei.png]] Wang Jingwei (until 1927)
 * [[File:Mao.png]] Li Jishen
 * [[File:SoongChingling.png]] Soong Ching-ling
 * [[File:Christsoc.png]] Feng Yuxiang
 * [[File:Fem.png]] He Xiangning
 * [[File:Mao.png]] Mao Zedong
 * [[File: Stalin.png]] Mikhail Borodin
 * [[File:Dengf.png]] Wan Exiang [[File:RCCK.png]]

[[File:RightKMT.png]] Orthodox Right-Wing KMT

 * [[File:Huhanmin.png]] Hu Hanmin
 * [[File:ChiangKaiShek.png]] Chiang Kai-shek
 * [[File:SoongMeiling.png]] Soong Mei-ling
 * [[File: Klep.png]] H.H.Kung
 * [[File:China-blueshirt.png]] Dai Li
 * [[File:Kak.png]] Chen Yi
 * [[File:Irridentism.png]] Ma Bufang
 * [[File:Technocracy.png]] Yen Chia-kan
 * [[File:Chiang-Ching-kuo.png]] Chiang Ching-kuo
 * [[File:Strato-Antifurry.png]] Sun Li-jen
 * [[File:Wang Jingwei.png]] Wang Jingwei (1927-1938)

[[File:RevRightKMT.png]] Revisionary Right-Wing KMT

 * [[File:LeeTengHui.png]] Lee Teng-hui (Formerly)
 * [[File:Patcon.png]] Lien Chan
 * [[File:PolState-Car.png]] Hou Yu-ih
 * [[File:Liberalconservative.png]] Ma Ying-jeou
 * [[File:Plutocrat.png]] Terry Gou
 * [[File:Rpop-tinfoilhat.png]] Han Kuo-yu
 * [[File:Bud.png]] Hsing Yun
 * [[File:Kak.png]] Hung Hsiu-chu [[File:Dengf.png]]

[[File:3princLib.png]] Liberal Tridemists

 * [[File:Awaj.png]] Chen Jiongming [[File:Fed.png]]
 * [[File:Chiang-Wei-Shui icon.png]] Chiang Wei-shui [[File:ChiangWeiShui2.png]]
 * [[File:Hushih.png]] Hu Shih
 * [[File:3princKem.png]] Tsiang Ting-fu
 * [[File:Anticommunism.png]] Xin Haonian

[[File:World.png]] Notable overseas Tridemists

 * [[File:Chiang-Wei-Shui icon.png]] Chiang Wei-shui [[File:ChiangWeiShui2.png]]
 * [[File:VRL2.png]] Phan Bội Châu [[File:Leftnat.png]]
 * [[File:VietnamKMT.png]] Nguyễn Thái Học [[File: Demsocstar.png]]
 * [[File:Cball-Malaysia.png]] Leong Yew Koh [[File:MCA.png]]
 * [[File:KimGu.png]] Gu

Videos

 * Sun Yat-Sen's Three Principles of the People by EmperorTigerstar
 * Extra History: Sun Yat-sen by Extra Credits

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