So You're a Conservative . . . You Must Be a Nazi!

Human Events Onlin ^ | August 31, 2005 | Rabbi Aryeh Spero

[hinterlander]

A Gainesville, Georgia, talk show host returning from visiting our troops in Iraq wrote a letter to the New York Times disagreeing with the paper's pundits' conferring on Cindy Sheehan, mother of a fallen soldier, the status of "absolute moral authority" regarding our involvement in Iraq. With sensitivity, Martha Zoller wrote that many mothers and fathers of fallen heroes, with equal moral clout, support our mission in Iraq.

To her surprise, this southern gal received a bundle of e-mails from the New York City area calling her a "Nazi" and "concentration-camp capo," the latter a pejorative used often by Jews referring to that small number of their brethren who collaborated with concentration camp Nazis. It's not a term one generally hears thrown around on the streets of Provo, Utah.

What could possibly be Nazi-like, capo-like, in simply expressing a sentiment that buttresses the opinions of families who've lost children yet still support the war? Actually, nothing! What such name-calling may show is a pre-dispositional belief, from upbringing, within a core of the liberal/progressive community that white, Southern Christians -- majority American types -- are inchoate Nazis.

Almost every policy advancing the cause of American nationalism is seen as grounds for using the N-word, Nazi, reminiscent of leftist race-baiters who stand ready to spring . . .

[Stashiu]

Baath Arab Socialist Party.

How the left hates to be reminded of their fascism. You can see their eye's spin when you remind them that Nazi's were socialists.

[PAR35]

Fascists and Nazis were nationalists. Communism is "International Socialism.

By the late 1930s Communists were nationalists as well. The main difference between the Communists and the Nazis in the 1930s was the group each chose to demonize. By the end of the 40s, there was overlap even there.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Yes, indeed, I remember the Nazis and they weren't Republicans, or "right wing", or "patriots" or "militias". They were Socialist monsters."

But isn't it uncannily amazing that the POLICIES of the Nazis so closely resemble those advocated by todays left-wing Democrats. Maybe they are looking in a mirror when they use the term Nazi.

[WKUHilltopper]

When you don't have an argument, call people names. People who use this term loosely "nazi" haven't a clue as to what this means--it just sounds good apparently.

[Sybeck1]

[dfwgator]

Even a big-time lefty like Christopher Hitchens says these people are nuts.

[Unam Sanctam]

"concentration-camp capo,"

Wasn't President Berlusconi excoriated by the European left for using that exact same expression with regards to a German Social Democrat?

[Restorer]

the S.A. and the S.S. Those were Nazi versions of the B.A.T.F. and the F.B.I.

Getting a tad hyperbolic here.

The SA and SS were (originally) private paramilitary party organizations, not government employees. The equivalent in the US would be if the Democrat or Republican parties had their own private armed forces.

[dfwgator]

Far Left and Far Right are right next to each other, because the political spectrum resembles a circle, more than a straight line.

[fortunecookie]

I'm guessing it was the NYT editorial board that wrote those letters...

LOL. I agree. They probably have several saved on their computers, at the ready to copy and paste, and mix and match. Some of them are too stupid to even write them, just plagiarize them.

[martin gibson]

The best thing we can do is get them as much true medai exposure (not just scripted media events) as we can...

Thank You!!! You are absolutely correct.

[processing please hold]

And a communist is.....?

[Doug Loss]

Actually, I think the issue between Fascists, National Socialists, and Communists was Nationalism. Fascists and Nazis were nationalists. Communism is "International Socialism."

Exactly. I've been making this point lately. In Europe the political axis defined as left/right ranks groups for their internationalism/nationism. In the US we use the same terms (left/right) to rank groups in terms of statism/individualism. These two axes don't measure the same things, but we use the same terms. That causes a lot of confusion. By our terms, fascists, nazis, and communists are just variants on leftism. By European terms, our conservatives don't fit on the axis at all. But since we tend to be for strong national defense and cultural values, they lump us with their "right." It's like asking, "How much is 2+2: blue or green?"

[mbraynard]

I suppose they (and Cindy Sheehan) are not aware of Godwin's Law.

[Eagle of Liberty]

Question:

If

1) The neo-cons are Jews
2) The neo-cons are now running our Foreign Policy
3) Nazis hate Jews

are we now to believe that the Jews and the Nazis have come to some agreement? Is our new form of government now Neo-Fascism? Am I a Neo-Con Jew Nazi?

I am getting so confused as to who I am supposed to be.

</sarcasmoff>

[Eagle of Liberty]

Fascism = National Socialism = Nazism

Communism = International Socialism

Liberalism = Progressivism = American Socialism

Conservatism = FREEDOM

[Eagle of Liberty]

I was duped as well by our lovely public school system. Took 9/11 for me to wake up along with Rush, Hannity and FreeRepublic!

[processing please hold]

May I plagiarize your post please?

[Designer]

"The equivalent in the US would be if the Democrat or Republican parties had their own private armed forces."

I think we have seen cases where the Dems have used strong-arm tactics (THUGS & VANDALS) to enforce, coerce, frighten, and punish their ideological enemies, but I don't think Republicans have, or ever would, thank God.