Mussolini's fascist regime was praised by progressives (you know, the left). Hitler's regime was the National *Socialist* party, and in fact was quite socialist.
Fascism is a left wing idea - it is all about the government making the economy work well through micromanagement. Of course, to do that, it needs strong leaders, and the result was Mussolini. Hitler was an admirer of Mussolini and copied his ideas.
18 comments
"Hitler's regime was the National *Socialist* party"
North Korea is offically named the *Democratic* People's Republic of Korea.
When Germany was divided, East Germany was offically named the German *Democratic* Republic.
Your point?
"Mussolini's fascist regime was praised by progressives (you know, the left)."
It was also hailed by nationalists (you know, the right) worldwide. Point being?
"Hitler's regime was the National *Socialist* party, and in fact was quite socialist."
Yeah, and that is why they immediately established the control of means of production by workers... Wait, that's not entirely correct. Oh, well, at least they officially nationalized everything, like Soviets did... Wait, that one's a bummer too. At the very least they promised to usher in a utopia, wherein class would be abolished and peoples of the whole world, no matter their ethnic and religious background, would live in peace and freedom! Wait a minute...
Yup, and the planet Mars is purple, and Stalin was pro-life.
You wanting horrible people to be "on the other side" does not make them so. Besides, there are horrible people in all groups and in all walks of life.
I cannot find it on the internet, but I remember a contemporary caricature in my history textbook for the Third Reich:
"Towards the workforce":
Hitler with his trademark theatralic gestures, holds a sign reading
"SOCIALISTIC WORKER'S PARTY".
with Nationalist and German being printed so small as to be barely readable.
"Towards the financially strong sponsors":
Hitler in a "conspirational offer" pose, holding a sign reading
"NATIONAL GERMAN PARTY",
with the remaining words, again, being barely legible.
Also, politics are far more complicated than "right"(="conservative"="authoritarian paranoid xenophobic racist misogynistic bigotted Christian fundamentalism hating poor people and worshipping Mammon and guns") and "left"(="liberal"="progressive"="socialist"="communist"="hippy"="nihilist"="crazy homogenuity cultists who want to remove all individuality"="sane people"). I wonder whether this kind of thinking might be more prevalent due to the political duopoly inherent in the American electorial system, as opposed to European proportional representation with several distinct parties.
@Pharaoh Bastethotep
I'm not sure if you're referring to a system that inherently favours two diametrically opposed parties (in which chase no word springs to my mind) or a system that's dominated by two parties, like a monopoly is by one, in which case the word is duopoly.
Why were Oswald Mosley's Fascist Blackshirts chased out of London by the pro-Jewish Cockneys, then?
Very working class are your Londoners; they voted in as mayor Sadiq Khan: Labour . Voted 'Remain ' in the EU referendum. Jeremy Corbyn: the left -wing leader of that party promoted the 'Remain' cause.
Along with the Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron. NEXT !
Still think that "The Man in the High Castle" is a documemtary series by Amazon...?!
Ah, it's the old "the right has never done anything wrong, it was all the evil leftists" trick again. Next he wants to tell us that the Nazis were all gay too. Give me a break.
For anyone actually interested in what fascism really entails (its definition being much less refined than that of Socialism) I recomment the essay "Eternal Fascism: Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Blackshirt" by Umberto Eco. Very interesting stuff!
@Pharaoh Bastethotep
I remember that cartoon as well. If I remember correctly you are a biology student from Germany too? I was always fascinated by Hitler being unable to actually sell fascism to the workforce (which liked socialistic and communistic parties more), instead having success in going for the middle class which feared economic and class related losses at that time (sounds quite familiar to todays situation, doesn't it?).
The Weimar Republic, which the Nazis replaced, could be said to be socialist in many respects. The party name Nationalsozialistische Arebeiter Partei was adapted to gain wide appeal, not for accuracy. Mussolini was considered a dolt by Hitler and the German high command.
Oh, yeah! Right! And Tommy Wiseau is the next Stanley Kubrick, Bluegrass is the latest Urban youth craze, Twiggy is fat, The Parthenon is located in on Tatooine and Alzheimers is a type of meteorological phenomenon.
I also smell pants burning....and that is THE TRUTH!
@ #1964915
SpukiKitty
"....The Parthenon is located on Tatooine...."
You mean it's not? So what they showed me was a friggin' FAKE ??? Stupid, cheating, lying Tusken Raiders.....[mumble, mumble].
Next you'll be telling me it wasn't the real Cheops Pyramid either.....
Regards & all,
Thomas L. Nielsen
Luxembourg
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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