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To: packing heat
I got so tired of the "Nazis were liberals" and "Nazis were conservatives" debates, I actually did something unthinkable... I looked their platform up for myself.

The name is not a misnomer. They are NATIONAL SOCIALISTS. They are nationalists, in which they support a strong military, are against illegal immigration, and are jingostic. All of which leans towards the conservative side of things. But they also support subsidized low-cost housing, public utilities, and health care--and generally do not trust big business. All of which leans towards the liberal side of things.

So it's half and half... People just take either "National" or "Socialist" to suit their own agenda and ignore the other half.
115 posted on 04/22/2004 4:50:19 PM PDT by Nataku X
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To: Nakatu X
They are nationalists, in which they support a strong military, are against illegal immigration, and are jingostic. All of which leans towards the conservative side of things. But they also support subsidized low-cost housing, public utilities, and health care--and generally do not trust big business. All of which leans towards the liberal side of things.

Perhaps it is not the understanding of the word “Nazi” but the words “conservative,” “liberal” and “socialism” that creates the misunderstanding.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

con·ser·va·tive adj.

1. Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change.
2. Traditional or restrained in style: a conservative dark suit.
3. Moderate; cautious: a conservative estimate.
4.
a. Of or relating to the political philosophy of conservatism.
b. Belonging to a conservative party, group, or movement.
5. Conservative Of or belonging to the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom or the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada.
6. Conservative Of or adhering to Conservative Judaism.
7. Tending to conserve; preservative: the conservative use of natural resources.

n.

1. One favoring traditional views and values.
2. A supporter of political conservatism.
3. Conservative A member or supporter of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom or the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada.
4. Archaic. A preservative agent or principle.


lib·er·al adj.

1.
a. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
b. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
c. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
d. Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.
2.
a. Tending to give freely; generous: a liberal benefactor.
b. Generous in amount; ample: a liberal serving of potatoes.
3. Not strict or literal; loose or approximate: a liberal translation.
4. Of, relating to, or based on the traditional arts and sciences of a college or university curriculum: a liberal education.
5.
a. Archaic. Permissible or appropriate for a person of free birth; befitting a lady or gentleman.
b. Obsolete. Morally unrestrained; licentious.

n.
1. A person with liberal ideas or opinions.
2. Liberal A member of a Liberal political party.


so·cial·ism n.

1. Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.
2. The stage in Marxist-Leninist theory intermediate between capitalism and communism, in which collective ownership of the economy under the dictatorship of the proletariat has not yet been successfully achieved.

There appears to be no reference in any of these definitions of “conservative” to ”a strong military,” “illegal immigration,” or “jingoism.” Therefore, your assertion that Nazi’s were “conservative” is apparently fallacious.

On the other hand, the definition of “socialism” includes central, or state control of producing and distributing economic resources. As Hitler’s Third Reich did exactly this, it would seem that they were “liberal” in advocating change from capitalism, the previous economic system, as you claim, as well as being “socialists,” inasmuch as the Nazi party apparetnly correctly called itself “socialist.”
122 posted on 04/22/2004 5:28:21 PM PDT by Lucky Dog
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