I have heard this countless times, especially from libertarians and many GOP supporters, among others. The argument goes like this:
Clue #1
National Socialist Party of German Workers
Socialist Party of Workers?
Clue #2
A totalitarian state and free market economy regulated by the state coupled with social benefits and a big amount of state involvement in political, economic and social affairs
According to many, it wasn't a "right wing" political party, because "right wing" means "free unregulated market and no state involvement in political, economic and social affairs".
I'm not sure what to say, but to me, most self proclaimed "right wing" parties don't follow the "no state involvement" credo much anyway. Perhaps the left and right dichotomy is dead? Perhaps it was a "mixed" state? What do you think?
view the rest of the comments →
[–] downtownchinatown [S] ago
Are you saying that the "socialist" in its name was a mere propaganda method? The people who argue about them being "left wing" say they were in economic terms and because of the totalitarian methods, not because of the race relations campaign. I mean, these people basically argue that fascism is "left wing".
I mean, Hitler was against capitalism. But did Germany have a stock exchange and trade in international markets? They reduced them from 23 to 9, and in 1936 Germany banned all citizens from trading in foreign stocks. That doesn't sound right wing. However maybe we could call it fascist or right wing authoritarian, for a lack of a better term.
Still, I have a feeling that most people in the USA qualify "right wing" as "free market capitalist" nowadays, rather than solely conservative or fascist or any of those ancien regime/heterodox names.