Seriously now, were the Nazis left wing or right wing?

Question

This isn't a loaded question like the last one about this topic; I'm not waving a rallying flag for either the left or right to just bash.

It seems to me the left is always calling the right 'nazis' and the right is always calling the left 'nazis'.

So it occurs to me that biased idiots exist on both sides of the spectrum; either they are ignorant or they don't even really know what the nazis were about- or what it means to be right or left wing.

Please do not mention socialism if you do not understand the fundamental difference between libertarian socialism and totalitarian socialism; you would just be wasting my time.

Why do you think that the Nazis represented whichever vein of these two polarities you think they are closer to? Citing policies means very little as policies of today and yesterday are governed by different circumstances.

I'm speaking of the actual international concepts of right and left wing ideals; not your own countries political parties.

Answer 1

One of the frequent comments professors make in Political Science 101 is that if you pursue a political principal far enough along the spectrum, you will discover that the far left and the far right run into each other. To some extent this is true when comparing the Nazis and the Soviet Communists.

"Nazi" is specifically a polical and economic system developed by the National Socialist Workers' Party of Germany, established in about 1920, and officially destroyed and outlawed in 1945. The German name for the party used the acronym "NSDAP," and "Nazi" was a term derived from an abbreviated pronunciation of the first word of the name.

The NSDAP used about every possible catchword it could in its name, but in fact the party was hardly socialist, absolutely not democratic and not particularly good for the workers, either.

The Nazi program was fascist (modeled on the Italians under Mussolini, who created that word from the old Roman symbol of official power, the fasces, or bundle of rods bound around a central axe). Fascism was essentially a controlled economy operated by cooperation between an oligarchic private industry and government planners. Private businesses, including everything from grocers to shoemakers, are allowed to operate but their sources of supply, pricing and other activites are always subject to broader government control and restriction.

Under fascism, every person became property of the state. This is consistent with a general principal of totalitarianism, absolute state control. In practice, most people at one time or another found themselves compelled to provide labor or other tangible support for public purposes, but most of the time pursued their own lives and itnerests. However, all resources could be, and were, mobilized for state needs such as war.

Under fascism, some property rights and privileges were respected unless asserted by individuals or classes of people openly dispossessed by the state. Howeer, it was not a fundamental aspect of the fascist "constitution" that all property belonged to the state in the name and interest of the people - a key distinguishing factor between Marxism-Leninism and fascism.

Economically, under fascism private industry and property were thought to share a common interest with the state in fostering prosperity, growth, employment, personal savings, investment, and stability. State involvement in the operation of the economy supposdly directed itself toward fostering those results - although, again, in practice it turned out that private industry was merely another sheep to be sheared when the government decided that the time had come.

So fascism was a system that favored the accumulation of wealth and power for an elite in government and private industry, and control and pacificiation of the working masses. In terms of wealth and privilege for an elite, this is also how the Soviet Union worked.

Nazis were socially very, very conservative. They outlawed pornography, adopted policies to encourage mothers to stay at home, encouraged family growth and childbearing, restricted social clubs and nightclubs, music, art, literature and free expression. Of course, this is very similar to the Soviet Union - which in this aspect was a totalitarian dictatorship and also "right wing."

However, Soviet Communism was a genuine socialist state. Nazism was not. Despite certain features such as retirement plans and a limited public dole, for the most part the individual citizen was expected to work, earn money, pay bills and save and not expect a living from the state. Within limits individual enterprise was encouraged by the Nazis.

Ultimately, fascism is approprately described as a "rightist" system - as practiced in Germany, Italy, and Franco's Spain. Soviet Communism is a "leftist" system characterized by comprehensive state socialism. In terms of social manners and management, both fascism and Communism were "conservative" or "rightist" movements. At no time can the Nazis ever be considered a "leftist" movement.

Answer 2

The Nazis are definitely on the right wing of the political spectrum although some elements of their political program had 'socialist' elements. One of the reasons Hitler and the SS attacked the SA (the Brownshirts) was because some of them wanted a second (Nazi) revolution against the industrialist class with whom Hitler had done a deal.

In contemporary terms the phrase Nazi and Fascist are bandied about too much. If the people who use such terms had ever lived in a totalitarian state they would know that what we have in the Western democracies is currently nowhere near.

As for calling political opponents Nazi that's an ignorant substitute for democratic debate. It's easier to spout invective than to engage in rational discourse.

Answer 3

They had the worst characteristics of both sides. But since they were totalitarian with a small government for less interference it would probably be more right.
Oh and also to the guy who said Fascim is left thats ridiculous the extreme of the left is socialism... the extremes of the right are totalitarianism and fascism.

Answer 4

It is a loaded question, because it is not applicable. Not everybody considers the same issues to be left-wing or right-wing. It is different countries, different government structure, different generations, different language. You are trying to compare apples and oranges.

If you are truly curious, you would have to do a comparison on an issue by issue basis. Issues supported by both sides could be taken to extremes and result in a Nazi-esque government. For example: the right could take issues of national security too far, and the left could take issues of anti-religion too far.

Answer 5

The Nazis showed the worst properties of both the left and right wings.

A right wing example would be the intolerance and discrimination shown to people of differing religion and or sexual orientation.

A left wing example would be the implementation of a national gun registry and subsequent disarmament of the people.

These are both situations that are either happening or have been attempted by the extremists on both sides of politics in America today and as such both sides are well deserved of the title of Nazi.

Answer 6

Fascism usually counts on the left, but totalitarianism is usually associated with the right, hence the confusion. The Nazi regime has elements of both.

Answer 7

Fascism is RIGHT not left, Socialist/communist is left. Common knowledge. Extreme conservate.

Answer 8

Right wing they do not consider the poor or elderly or disabled when making life altering decions on the hill.