[freeforall]

"Don't Randianism and other extreme forms of libertarianism tend to break down in this way when issues of real concern to people are addressed?"

I am not sure what you mean.To me Rand was only one writer among many.On the issue of real concern to people; I think the market does a better job than government and freedom is good for all.

"Nazism was, as the name implies, a synthesis of nationalism, socialism and racialism. It didn't fit the standard pigeonholes of that time or of ours. Nazism became associated with the right because of Hitler's fight against the Communists and the rightwing support it brought him. International Communism being "left" the tendency was to put national socialism on the "right." But it would be hard to conceive of Nazism had there been no Bolshevik revolution. "

Yes it was a synthesis but I think the ideas were fodder for power.I do not think they were really the opposite of the communists on the issue of nationalism since both sides agreed on competeing for world domination.The nationalism of the nazis was really the creation of a "new world order" under their thumb.The national socialism of Germany would be the world itself.

[x]

Agreed. The Nazis and Communists were competitors rather than opposites. Their intense rivalry was read by outsiders as putting them at opposite ideological extremes, rather than as a simple struggle for power. I'd still be wary of characterizing Nazism as "left" or "right" though.