Do you find it ridiculous when people accuse Democrats of being Nazis because the word "socialist" is in it?

Question

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Nazis (naht-seez, nat-seez)

A German political party of the twentieth century, led by Adolf Hitler. The Nazis controlled Germany from the early 1930s until the end of World War II. The party's full name in English is National Socialist German Workers' party; Nazi is short for its German name. Despite the word socialist in its name, it was a fascist party, requiring from its members supreme devotion to the German government — the Third Reich (see fascism and socialism). The Nazis rose to power by promising the people that Germany, which had been humiliated after World War I, would become powerful again.

Answer 1

I wouldn't call it ridiculous so much as cheap. Clearly it represents an attempt to sway opinion against the Democrats, but in light of the massive failures of the current Republican administration, why would anyone want to do this? Because they're afraid their taxes will go up. They're so afraid of a tax increase they're willing to continue down the course of self-destruction Bush that has set for us. Maybe there is some religious opposition to perceived "socialism" as well, but the underlying motive is greed. I know many Democrats; I'm to the left of most of them, and I don't advocate pure socialism, either. But subtle differences in our respective ideal mergers of public and private interests are wasted on right-wing ideologues. They call us all Nazis because: 1) They don't have a legitimate argument against the proposals the Democratic candidates are advancing; 2) They can't understand the right of government to tax the citizens; 3) Some of us call them Nazis, regrettably, and they aren't creative enough to come up with an alternative. Okay, some of them use Communist or "liberal" or some other meaningless, inaccurate, or derogatory term, but you can't expect much better from them when their precious tax cuts are at stake...

Answer 2

it is equally ridiculous to call Republicans Nazis, but people do.

Nazi has simply become a buzz word for people who some one would consider politically evil. The average person has no concept of what a Nazi truly is.

Nazism is a combination of both a fascist and socialist political view. Nazis did establish and planned to ultimately have a socialist state where White Germans (and their followers) would live in a socialist paradise while non-whites and non-followers would be oppressed and forced to live under a steel boot.

The Nazi government was built for this type of bureaucracy. it created a system where one type of person lived with one form of government while other people lived under a more repressive form of government. If you looked at things like the "blood and honor laws" you will see this giant machine starting to take shape.

Anyone who says Nazis were not Socialists are incorrect. just as people who say Nazis were Fascists. the truth is they were both.

Perhaps people who use historical reference should understand the true context before claiming there is a connection. you may be pretty surprised how inaccurate or inappropriate the reference may be to a situation.

Answer 3

I guess the Nazi's go to show that a political movement can have fascist AND socialist tendencies, that the two are not mutually exclusive. To me, the main problem of the Nazi party was its fascist way of trying to enforce a very elistist form of socialism. Hitler may have SAID they were socialists, but his form of socialism didn't include Jews, gays, gypsies, the handicapped, or anyone who disagreed with the political leadership.

And yes, I find it ridiculous when people try to condemn a current political party, Democrats OR Republicans, by applying negative terms--communist, fascist, sometimes even "socialist"--that are far too broad and sweeping to apply at all. For pity's sake, people. "Simplistic" isn't usually a good thing.

Answer 4

Hitler made many appeals to the people on the premise of being a socialist. He also claimed to be a Christian. The truth is that Hitler would claim whatever he needed to in order to increase his own personal power, because he wasn't a socialist, and sure as hell wasn't a Christian. I've seen quite a few democrats use the same tactics regarding socialism and its appeal to the "common man". Of course, I've also seen republicans use the Christian tactics when they're obviously about as Christian as Channukah Harry. So there are in fact political similarities between the democrats and the Nazis. Maybe that's just part of being a politician. Here's a quick lesson on Hitler's rise to power and why the Nazis had the term "socialist" in their name to begin with.

When Hitler first became active in politics it was with the German Worker's Party, a socialist organization. In April, 1920, Hitler advocated that the party should change its name to the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP). Hitler had always been hostile to socialist ideas, especially those that involved racial or sexual equality. However, socialism was a popular political philosophy in Germany after the First World War. Hitler, therefore redefined socialism by placing the word 'National' before it. He claimed he was only in favour of equality for those who had "German blood". In February 1920, the NSDAP published its first programme which became known as the "Twenty-Five Points". To appeal to the working class and socialists, the programme included several measures that would redistribute income and war profits, profit-sharing in large industries, nationalization of trusts, increases in old-age pensions and free education. In an attempt to obtain financial contributions from industrialists, Hitler wrote a pamphlet in 1927 entitled The Road to Resurgence. Only a small number of these pamphlets were printed and they were only meant for the eyes of the top industrialists in Germany. The reason that the pamphlet was kept secret was that it contained information that would have upset Hitler's working-class supporters. In the pamphlet Hitler implied that the anti-capitalist measures included in the original twenty-five points of the NSDAP programme would not be implemented if he gained power. Hitler began to argue that "capitalists had worked their way to the top through their capacity, and on the basis of this selection they have the right to lead." Hitler claimed that national socialism meant all people doing their best for society and posed no threat to the wealth of the rich. After the stock market crash in the US, and the consequent depression in Germany, the Nazis became the second largest power in Germany. While touring and speaking what Hitler said depended very much on the audience. In rural areas he promised tax cuts for farmers and government action to protect food prices. In working class areas he spoke of redistribution of wealth and attacked the high profits made by the large chain stores. When he spoke to industrialists, Hitler concentrated on his plans to destroy communism and to reduce the power of the trade union movement.

Answer 5

Nationalist socialist party was not much socialist by social democratic standards, or any other fro that matter. But people don't know any better, history is hardly even taught these days. the WW2 generation is almost gone, people forget...30 years after Viet Nam we want to relive a pointless war. people have short memories.

Answer 6

ummmm.............. the Nazis were socialists. Anyone who denies it has been brainwashed or is a liar.

"We are socialists, we are enemies of today's capitalistic economic system for the exploitation of the economically weak, with its unfair salaries, with its unseemly evaluation of a human being according to wealth and property instead of responsibility and performance, and we are all determined to destroy this system under all conditions." --Adolf Hitler

Time Magazine 1938

Most cruel joke of all, however, has been played by Hitler & Co. on those German capitalists and small businessmen who once backed National Socialism as a means of saving Germany's bourgeois economic structure from radicalism. The Nazi credo that the individual belongs to the state also applies to business. Some businesses have been confiscated outright, on other what amounts to a capital tax has been levied. Profits have been strictly controlled. Some idea of the increasing Governmental control and interference in business could be deduced from the fact that 80% of all building and 50% of all industrial orders in Germany originated last year with the Government. Hard-pressed for food- stuffs as well as funds, the Nazi regime has taken over large estates and in many instances collectivized agriculture, a procedure fundamentally similar to Russian Communism.

Sure Sounds like SOCIALISM to me. Anyone who denies it is brainwashed or a liar.

Answer 7

in the case of Germany, the "socialism" was everything to the state by everyone not of the elite...it was enslaving the middle class to be servants of the nation...hence the "national" part...they fooled the Geramn people . the Conservatives that spout this crap about Nazi's being socialist are either stupid or something akin to an Ann Coulter

Answer 8

Absolutely. And Hitler kicked out the Socialists.

Answer 9

Yes.
Because the Democrat Party has been completely taken over by the Communists.

The American Communist Party & the Socialist Party of America, both dis-banded during the 60's, and along with the American-Hating Democrats, completely took over the Democrat Party.

(But check history. Stalin and the Communists copied many of the procedures of the Nazis.... Killing: Jews, Gypsies, and other minorities. How scary that these people now OWN the Democrat Party.)

Answer 10

Those same people actually believed that the former East Germany was a democracy because it was called the German Democratic Republic. LOL!

Source: Cons are ineducable