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Right-Wing and Left-wing in Europe means something different than right-wing/left-wing in the U.S.

In Europe, there are two extremes of Socialism: the left-wing (Communists) and the right-wing (fascists).

The left-wing believes that the state owns all property, to be shared with the people as their needs demand.

The right-wing believes that private citizens can own private property, to be controlled and taxed by the government.

...but both the left and right wings of socialism believe in government control of the economy.

Of course, those views are foreign to the U.S.

Here, the left-wing means “liberals” and the right-wing means “conservatives.”

Uh, thanks, but now I’m even more confused?

Read the article to which I linked.

The essence is that the problem involves more than one variable. One variable will get you left and right, for example, with varying degrees in between.

The whole left-right model came out of France a couple of hundred years ago, and has little applicability today.

Pournelle changed that variable, and added a second. His model contrasts the two variables of rationality vs. trust in the state. This two-dimensional model gives a significantly larger universe within which to array the various factions.

Keep one thing in mind: The Germans were then, and sill are ardent Nationalist first, as are all the other Europeans in their small countries. Germans have been socialistic (not communistic) since Bismarck introduced state pensions in the 1870’s. They respect a strong government and like to subordinate themselves to anyone who exudes authority. Only about 20% of all Germans are home owners, the rest are renters. I’ve seen the title “Home Owner” on a grave stone in one of their beautiful cemeteries. Their nationalism stems back to the 1800’s, and grew as Germany became united under Bismarck’s leadership in 1871. They espoused an arrogant racial superiority as Aryans, but Aryans were not considered only Germans, but all Nordic people, like Scandinavians and Dutch too. Germans won’t give up their socialism, even today. But it is not close to Communism, as there were many street battles in Germany before Hitler, between Communists and Nazi Socialists. On the economic scale, those two concepts are usually grouped close together, but there is a world of difference. What are usually described as “liberals” in our country, are actually socialists, but they are afraid of that word. They want more government control of your life, “to help the down trodden”. Income redistribution. We should call them by their real name.