RE: Is Elon Musk Undermining German Democracy?
I don’t see it that way. The Nazis were called “National Socialists” for a reason: they combined a strict nationalist worldview with many genuinely socialist elements. Their policies included state control over large parts of the economy, massive welfare programs (for “Aryans”), price controls, and suppression of free markets. These are not conservative or liberal ideas – they are deeply collectivist.
Of course, the Nazis persecuted communists, but that was not because they opposed socialism as such. It was because they were fighting for power against a rival socialist movement with an international outlook. In other words: it was a battle between two totalitarian camps – one internationalist (communist) and one nationalist (Nazi) – but both were hostile to individual liberty and true democracy.
That’s why I think it is misleading to portray the Nazis as simply “right-wing” or “anti-socialist.” They were a hybrid: nationalistic in identity, but socialist in economics. And that distinction really matters if we want to understand history accurately.
To add to my previous point: it is also important to consider how the Nazis saw themselves at the time. They repeatedly rejected being called “right-wing” and attacked what they described as the “property-owning bourgeoisie.”
In their propaganda, this so-called “property class” was often equated with “Jewish capital” – the bankers, publishers, and business owners they demonized as enemies of the people. That shows clearly: their enemy image was not just communism, but also what they portrayed as capitalist elites.
This is why I think the simple label “right-wing” is historically misleading. The Nazis were nationalist in identity, but they also carried strong socialist and anti-capitalist elements in their ideology. Understanding this dual character, and the way they defined their own enemies, is crucial if we want to talk about history in an honest and accurate way.