Friday, February 17, 2023
“Hitler was a ________”
A common debate that often occurs in comment threads addresses the definitions of “socialism” and Nazism. It’s not enough to simply note that Nazism is National Socialism.
There are always diehard leftists in the debate who can’t fathom the likeness of their own beliefs with the object of their pervasive projection. Stalin hated Trotsky and Khrushchev hated Mao. When leftists are seeking power one can be sure that they will hate competitors regardless of how much both may hate their common enemy — individual freedom.
This video is absolutely excellent in dispelling the myth that Nazism was somehow the polar opposite of socialism. The key point made in the video is that socialism predates Marxism, and while Nazis were not Marxists (excepting propaganda minister Goebel’s self-description), they are very much socialists, fully opposed to a free market capitalist system.
I’ve never met a socialist of any strain that was not in some way sympathetic to the idea of a centralized and powerful state controlling free thought and action. One can add variations to basic theory, (e.g. supporting nationalism, internationalism, racism, or classism) and still hold a common belief in the absolute authority of collectivism trampling individualism.
Again, a brilliant well-argued appraisal of the issue.
