Communists and National Socialists are indeed both varieties of socialism, both economically and culturally. However, there are two important distinctions between Communists and National Socialists.
1) Communists have an internationalist worldview. National Socialists have a nationalistic worldview. National Socialism’s inherent racism made it distinctly evil; Communism’s internationalism made it distinctly dangerous to liberty everywhere.
2) Communism’s utopian end-state was a communist anarchy wherein the altruistic New Soviet Man existed for the good of the Proletariat; National Socialism’s utopian end-state was a totalitarian Reich, commanded by a wise Fuhrer, wherein the altruistic Aryan Man existed for the good of the Reich. Both are dreadful and perverse objectives to anyone who values liberty, but their differences would obtain different social policies and different types of evil.
Only if one accepts that all states are socialist to one degree or another, the left/right model does serve to distinguish between these two distinctions. Most Americans have been indoctrinated to view the political spectrum in this way, and thus value being in the middle. After all, nobody in his right mind wants an Auschwitz or a gulag. Modern progressives thus present themselves as a kinder, gentler sort of socialist, a middle-way that avoids the tragedy and excess of Communism and National Socialism. Using this model, liberals successfully moved the “middle” ever leftward, and painted conservatives as some sort of fascist. Of course, it’s a totally bogus model, but it has been a successful propaganda and indoctrination tool.
Your summary succinctly says it all. Funny, as I was reading your post, I kept thinking with each word "Yeah, but that Left/Right model is bogus!" before I reached the end and saw I wouldn't have to elaborate. You said it all.
Thanks for that excellent post.