Nazis Are As Socialist As Checkers Are Chinese
Mike Stuchberry does an excellent job of highlighting the difference between Nazis and Socialists. The Nazis did call themselves National Socialists. They even adapted some mild socialist policies. But like the World Series or The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, National Socialist is a misnomer.
Nazis Are Fascists
There is almost zero doubt about this. The Nazi’s drew their ideology from Italy’s fascists. Italy’s fascists arose in reaction to the Left. The Italian Right, still mired in 19th century thought, could not tackle the explosion in left-wing organization in the early 20th century.
Mussolini gave us the first fascist platform whose features include national superiority, racial superiority, rearmament, and finally the expansion and consolidation of capital. The Italian Fascists appropriated, wholesale. They also appropriated Roman imagery such as the ‘fasces’ to evoke renewed national pride and a sense of superiority.
The Italian Fascists sought to expand and reclaim historically Italian lands which mirrored a large portion of the old Roman Empire. After copying some socialist economic policies, such as public works and spending, Italy’s fascist government formed corporate cartels which enriched a select few.
Hitler And The German Worker’s Party
The German Worker’s Party only lasted from 1919 to 1920 with the idea to find a party that was both in touch with the masses and nationalist. Hitler joined the party in 1919 and became its minister of propaganda in 1920.
He saw propaganda as the best way to bring nationalism to the masses. In an attempt to make the party more broadly appealing to larger segments of the population, it was renamed to the National Socialist German Worker’s Party. Socialism was still a relatively new ideology at this time. It was branding plain and simple. They wanted to steal support from actual socialists. That’s it.
The Nazis were textbook fascists. They believed themselves to be racially and nationally superior, they wanted to rearm and expand, and they wanted a consolidation of capital.
By now, everyone knows their views on race and their feelings towards the Jews. We know they had plans for a ‘Greater German Reich’. While they used a few socialist economic policies, they retreated to a corporate cartel base. Companies like Krupp made incredible profits.
Actual Socialists
The socialists who emerged after Marx wanted the removal of classes, socialism to be worldwide, and a distribution of capital. There was a huge gap between rich & poor in Tsarist Russia. The Bolsheviks sought to eliminate this division through violent revolt.
After they succeeded, the Bolsheviks wanted to take the Revolution worldwide. Their idea of Comintern’ meant no race, no nations, only socialism. Redistribution of capital is different from consolidation of capital. Collectivisation is different from cartels.
Socialism is not National Socialism. The latter is a misnomer used as a marketing tool. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Any attempts to tie them together are either misinformed or disingenuous.
