This is one reason why the left-right dichotomy sucks. The "no, actually, YOU are the Nazi!" argument that conservatives and liberals play is not a discussion. The reason the NDSAP went with "national socialist" for a name is largely a matter of practicality, as it gave both people on the left and the right a reason to look at their platform. I assume the "Progressive Conservative" name was chosen for much the same reason, to draw in a larger crowd who feel they may be represented in some way.
As Hitler described it, his socialism was much different than Marx's socialism, believing that the term was a German invention which had been hijacked by communist jews (never seen any proof of that). National socialism (and other forms of fascism) basically say "this is our ideology, these are our goals, we must work together to achieve them." The role of the state is to create social unity and ensure nothing within the nation actively harms the social unity of the nation or impedes progress towards its goals. Private property is fine. Private enterprise is fine, so long as the NDSAP feels it doesn't cause harm by providing unfair wages, unfair benefits, causes health issues, harms the environment, promotes race mixing, promotes jewish interests, promotes communism, creates defeatism, etc.
Building a political platform around an idealism rather than materialism I believe makes national socialism (and other "extreme" ideologies) signficantly different than the common ideologies of today (socialism, neoliberalism, neoconservatism) and boiling it down to simply "the nazis were leftists, your side!" or "the nazis were right wing, your side!" is stupid.
This is one reason why the left-right dichotomy sucks. The "no, actually, YOU are the Nazi!" argument that conservatives and liberals play is not a discussion. The reason the NDSAP went with "national socialist" for a name is largely a matter of practicality, as it gave both people on the left and the right a reason to look at their platform. I assume the "Progressive Conservative" name was chosen for much the same reason, to draw in a larger crowd who feel they may be represented in some way.
As Hitler described it, his socialism was much different than Marx's socialism, believing that the term was a German invention which had been hijacked by communist jews (never seen any proof of that). National socialism (and other forms of fascism) basically say "this is our ideology, these are our goals, we must work together to achieve them." The role of the state is to create social unity and ensure nothing within the nation actively harms the social unity of the nation or impedes progress towards its goals. Private property is fine. Private enterprise is fine, so long as the NDSAP feels it doesn't cause harm by providing unfair wages, unfair benefits, causes health issues, harms the environment, promotes race mixing, promotes jewish interests, promotes communism, creates defeatism, etc.
Building a political platform around an idealism rather than materialism I believe makes national socialism (and other "extreme" ideologies) signficantly different than the common ideologies of today (socialism, neoliberalism, neoconservatism) and boiling it down to simply "the nazis were leftists, your side!" or "the nazis were right wing, your side!" is stupid.