Were the Nazis left-wing or right-wing

My co-host, liberalcommentator Dr. Patrick O’ Heffernan, raised this salient question during ourradio program The Fairness Doctrine. On October 26, we interviewed JoshuaRubenstein, the author of “Leon Trotsky-A Revolutionary Life.” Mr. Rubenstein mentionedwhat has become received wisdom which was that Stalin and the German Communistparty had helped to elect Hitler in 1933. I responded with the observation thatthe communists were probably motivated in their support for the Nazis by aninterest in turning Germany in a leftward political direction.

Rubenstein responded toPatrick’s follow-up question, in a condescending tone, that of course the Naziswere right-wing and that one should not be fooled by the word “Socialist” whichis part of the name of the National Socialist Nazi Party. Rubenstein based hisclaim that Nazism was right-wing on the claims that the Nazis were nationalistsand anti-Semites with the implication that these two principles should beconsidered as right-wing. This serious assertion, which constitutes conventionalthinking on the left, deserves a response.

Firstly, the right advocates,as I pointed out to Rubenstein, limited government and Hitler was not exactlyan advocate of limited government. The right understanding of nationalisminvolves an overall love of one’s home country whether that country is theUnited States, Canada, Mexico etc. The left understanding of nationalism, onthe other hand, involves a love of the State. In this sense the left ishyper-nationalist as opposed to the more conservative nationalism. The leftviews the State as a redemptive force that should be empowered to changesociety and to literally change human nature through programs thatre-distribute wealth from the private earner and through bureaucracies made upof “enlightened” experts who would use the force of law to inveigh themselvesinto all matters of the private lives of the citizen.

This, obviously, describesNazism to a tee. This also clarifies why the Nazis were “right-wing” in thatthey were to the right of the Communists who sought total control by the Stateover all aspects of human life in their quest to establish a world ant colony,what they called a “collective.” The Nazis supported State Socialism, a highdegree of public ownership within a super state. The Communists supported WorldSocialism, what they euphemistically referred to as Internationalism, andoutright total ownership of all property and business. This is why Communism isto the left of Nazism and Nazism is to the right of Communism. Both ideologiesand both systems are, obviously, to the left of the American system ofindividual rights and private ownership.

The second piece of evidencepresented by Josh Rubenstein in his assertion that Nazism is right-wing, thatNazism is anti-Semitic is more complex. It should be noted that there are anti-Semitesand racists on both the left and the right and in this regard the left ishardly pure. As a matter of philosophy, the right rejects anti-Semitism andracism as these tendencies represent “barnyard socialism” as was noted byconservative philosopher Ayn Rand. Indeed anti-Semitism and racism assigncollective characteristics to groups of people based upon their ancestry andthis idea runs contrary to the core conservative tenet which is respect for theinherent rights of the individual. Judaism and Christianity, when viewed asphilosophies, also reject racism as the Judeo-Christian understanding is thateach and every individual is uniquely created in the image of God and shouldnot be in any way viewed as part of any group. This view explains in part why bothNazism and Communism were anti-Jewish and anti-Christian.

Furthermore, it should benoted, the father of Communism, Karl Marx, was a vicious anti-Semite who referredto Jews in his 1843 book “On the Jewish Question” as “self-interested hucksterswho should be annihilated. Marx also profoundly influenced Hitler how creditshim with providing the foundation of his political education in his autobiographyMein Kampf.

I read that just this morning on The History Place. And it is these 25 points that actually define the left. Although on first reading these 25 Points, I can see the first 10 as propaganda used by Hitler. For in the next 15 points, he basically takes away the first 10.

It wasn't so much as this thread that had me looking for the early establishment of the Nazi party, as much as the general idea that the democrat's quasi support of OWS. I began thinking and wondering if this is the start and formation of our version of the Nazi's? And when one considers those 15 points...it is darn close to the 0bama agenda.

We won't see the exact evolution here. Much of the groundwork has already taken place over the course of decades and I wonder those 15 points ...presented to a few OWS people would garner a positive response? Sort of like that moment when when a bunch of eco-folks were asked to ban H20 by Pen and Teller.

There are a few key differences in the rise of these new Nazi's. One is....is 0bama truly capable of being their ‘fuhrer.’ As I say over and over, 0bama is not as dumb as we like to think. Evidence: his behind the scenes accomplishments. If one were to ask if this is where we would be in 3 years time...in 2008 we would have said, no. Yet, here we are.

I feel like a ‘good German,’ watching the rise of Nazi Germany.

Those first 10 points, I think the ‘birthers’ should be very careful. They are wide open for the left to use the Nazi idea of citizenship against them...and against the right-wing candidates. This would a very good reason for our candidates not be ‘forced into a corner’ regarding 0bama’s birth certificate. Candidates would best defer that the matter is handled through the legal channels as our Constitution requires. They need to be very careful not to get hitched to this wagon.

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