The myth of the far right

Spiked Politics ^ | 6/12/02 | Brendan O'Neill

[SBeck]

If I remember correctly, the Nazi party started with a membership of seven (Hitler was party member 3). All it takes for a slide into the abyss is a cataclismic economic failure.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Is Europe really heading for a new Dark Age, with its Nazi past coming back to haunt it?

Isn't it interesting how the left tries to paint the right withe the National Socialists Workers Party (Nazi) an ultra LEFT WING PARTY paintbrush?

[Bagehot]

Just in case you can't tell, Martin Jacques is a sad little crypto-trot. He looks exactly as you would expect (little trot beard, round little trot glasses, dark shirts, you name it).

[ClearCase_guy]

If I remember correctly, the Nazi party started with a membership of seven (Hitler was party member 3). All it takes for a slide into the abyss is a cataclismic economic failure.

Since the nazis were a far-left organization, Europe's move to the Right (in whatever degree) is to be welcomed because it makes the catastrophic slide into chaos that much less likely.

And, since the Right has economic ideas that actually work, an economic failure is also made less likely. As Martha Stewart says (when she's in a good mood) "It's a good thing."

[FOL(iberty)]

Put another way, the only thing that Nazis are to the right of is the Communist Party. (When conmmunists look left, they see Nazis).

[lavaroise]

What is the difference between a racist Nazism that consumes certain colors and creeds, and a leftist Marxism that consumes all colors and all creeds????

[lavaroise]

Or since when the left forbade taxes and other forms of humans consuming humans...

[weegee]

Scare tactics. This is what happens when the left sees themselves losing power.

[justshutupandtakeit]

That was the reformulation of the German Workers party which was much larger during WWI. What is generally not known is that the party was reformed thru the involvement of agents of the German High Command. Adolf was one of those political agents. He was a creation of the German Army and the Nazi party a product of the Army and the Thule Society and Dietrich Eckhardt. It was no simple combination of poor, disaffected men.

[F-117A]

Fo what it's worth, Fox News described Le Pen as a "Far Leftist".

[NH Liberty]

"Fo what it's worth, Fox News described Le Pen as a "Far Leftist". "

Really? How refreshing! Who was it? Can you remember?

It is ASTOUNDING to me that the Left continues to get away with calling Nazis and Fascists "Right Wing." This is precisely why they work so hard at keeping kids ignorant of History; Dumb 'em down, and it'll be a cinch to bulldoze the little critters with lies when necessary. Then, before you know it -- voila! -- another misinformed, propagandized Socialist is born.

We need to shout from the rooftops...er...cyberspace-tops our responses to these assaults.

[Irene Adler]

The author accepts without question the idea that fascism is a phenomenon of the right rather than a phenomenon of the left.

[F-117A]

It was one of the blond news babes, can't remember her name.

She was just going through the news blurbs.

[Blood of Tyrants]

It is interesting that a far left organization would imprison and execute communists, socialists, and intellectuals, isn't it? Not to mention abolish trade unions, allying with monarchists and Nationalists, receiving most of their funding from large corporations, building a huge military, etc.

Not really. Sounds like every other communist/socialist regeime. The Soviet, Chinese, Cubans, N.Vietnamese, etc.

[Blood of Tyrants]

If you can give me any other examples of his socialist nature, please do.

Hmmm... Let's see. Compared to the Soviets and Chinese, they all quashed any dissent by imprisioning or executing anyone who even MIGHT be opposing them, they all eliminated unions (except for the official government sanctioned union), they all sought to make someone else the scapegoat for their problems, they all had huge buildups in their armed forces for the purpose of conquest, the ones in power weren't the ones who were best fit to lead but the most brutal, they all disarmed the general populace to prevent a popular uprising.

Yep, sounds like other socialist regeimes to me.

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck and swims like a duck, you can bet that it's not an ostrich.

[steve-b]

Can you name any industry that was socialized by the Nazis?

Under a totalitarian government, any industry obeys the orders of the central planners (and thus comes under de facto state ownership).

How did private industry do under Hitler?

However the government wanted it to do.

Why is it that Mein Kampf is so studded with hatred for the USSR and communists?

"My cousin Francis [I of France] and I are in complete agreement: he wants Vienna, and so do I."
  --Emperor Charles V

[TimSkalaBim]

About the only thing remotely socialist about Hitler and the Nazi's was a large increase in govt spending to finance building projects. If you can give me any other examples of his socialist nature, please do.

The Ostministerium, responsible for appropriating slaves and loot from the conquered territories of Eastern Europe, Goering's "Four Year Plan", Albert Speer's Ministry of Armaments, the various Gauleiters that administered the Nazi empire, Goebbel's Propaganda Ministry, the SS, the SA: these and other offices exercised total control over German society, including industry, education, health care, pensions, weddings, you name it. German citizens had to obtain permission from the Nazi Party to do pretty much anything. In other words, it was a socialist paradise like every other socialist paradise.