Leftists always compete for totalitarian control, tarring their rivals as ‘far right’ as their ultimate ideological insult. It's a lie that goes back more than a century.
They said they were socialists. It was in the name, National Socialist Workers Party of Germany.
Who are we to argue?
Conservatives, on the right of the political spectrum, support a small state government, individual freedom, free speech, etc, the antithesis of fascism, which is a collectivist ideology and definitely not in favour of and freedom and free speech.
LMS2 wrote, "Conservatives, on the right of the political spectrum, support a small state government, individual freedom, free speech..."
That's a great point, and it's why left-winger "statists" are called leftists, not the classical liberals they believe they are.
On understanding why Europe and Asia view fascism as right wing while the American POV indicates fascism is on the left wing, my pet theory is this: the linear pollical spectrum is pointedly different in America than in Eurasia. Before you continue reading, do a web image search for "linear political ideology spectrum" and see what I mean. Moreover, because it better exemplifies practical fascism (over the theoretical), one should use Mussolini's definition of fascism, not the "padded" 14-point one American leftists like to quote.
Specifically, the American linear pollical spectrum generally has Max Government on the left, increasing group power (and reducing the power of the individual) as one moves farther left from center - therefore, socialism, fascism, and communism exist on the extreme left. A bit to the right of center is the (theoretical) American form of government, a constitutional republic. A bit more rightward we start to see libertarianism, then anarchy at the extreme right - Minimum Government and/or maximum individual power.
The European spectrum has its foundations in the pre-revolutionary layout of the French Assembly. In this example, the Assembly had those who favored the royalty - the landed gentry, the church and the status quo of the current government apparatus - seated on the right side of the Assembly, and those who favored revolution seated on the left.
Here's the important distinction: like socialism and communism, fascism requires government to operate. That is to say and by definition, right-wing no-government anarchists could not create a fascist state unless they formed government. Therefore, fascism could not exist in the American right wing, appearing instead on the Max Gov't left, while simultaneously, fascism appears on the right in the European spectrum.
The next time someone incorrectly calls the American rightwing "fascist," ask them to describe the spectrum they're using; I'd wager it's less defined than they can describe, often forming a circle or Mobius strip of logic.
Just seen this article posted on American Thinker, which I don't subscribe to and therefore can't comment there.
To anyone trying to argue that the Nazis were right wing, i post a link to a propaganda pamphlet written by Joseph Goebbels:
https://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/haken32.htm
They said they were socialists. It was in the name, National Socialist Workers Party of Germany.
Who are we to argue?
Conservatives, on the right of the political spectrum, support a small state government, individual freedom, free speech, etc, the antithesis of fascism, which is a collectivist ideology and definitely not in favour of and freedom and free speech.
LMS2 wrote, "Conservatives, on the right of the political spectrum, support a small state government, individual freedom, free speech..."
That's a great point, and it's why left-winger "statists" are called leftists, not the classical liberals they believe they are.
On understanding why Europe and Asia view fascism as right wing while the American POV indicates fascism is on the left wing, my pet theory is this: the linear pollical spectrum is pointedly different in America than in Eurasia. Before you continue reading, do a web image search for "linear political ideology spectrum" and see what I mean. Moreover, because it better exemplifies practical fascism (over the theoretical), one should use Mussolini's definition of fascism, not the "padded" 14-point one American leftists like to quote.
Specifically, the American linear pollical spectrum generally has Max Government on the left, increasing group power (and reducing the power of the individual) as one moves farther left from center - therefore, socialism, fascism, and communism exist on the extreme left. A bit to the right of center is the (theoretical) American form of government, a constitutional republic. A bit more rightward we start to see libertarianism, then anarchy at the extreme right - Minimum Government and/or maximum individual power.
The European spectrum has its foundations in the pre-revolutionary layout of the French Assembly. In this example, the Assembly had those who favored the royalty - the landed gentry, the church and the status quo of the current government apparatus - seated on the right side of the Assembly, and those who favored revolution seated on the left.
Here's the important distinction: like socialism and communism, fascism requires government to operate. That is to say and by definition, right-wing no-government anarchists could not create a fascist state unless they formed government. Therefore, fascism could not exist in the American right wing, appearing instead on the Max Gov't left, while simultaneously, fascism appears on the right in the European spectrum.
The next time someone incorrectly calls the American rightwing "fascist," ask them to describe the spectrum they're using; I'd wager it's less defined than they can describe, often forming a circle or Mobius strip of logic.