From Dr. Sowell:
The media often refers to conservative politicians and pundits as “right-wing” giving the impression that Nazism, fascism, or white nationalism is somehow on the same side of the political spectrum.
“Back in the 1920s, however, when fascism was a new political development, it was widely — and correctly — regarded as being on the political left” writes economist Dr. Thomas Sowell. “Even Hitler, who adopted fascist ideas in the 1920s, was seen by some, including W.E.B. Du Bois, as a man of the left”
“What socialism, fascism and other ideologies of the left have in common is an assumption that some very wise people — like themselves — need to take decisions out of the hands of lesser people, like the rest of us, and impose those decisions by government fiat” he continued. Many in the American media at the time praised Hitler, and expressed optimism at his rise to power.
Part of the problem is that there are different dimensions being conflated here.
- Personal liberty
- Economic liberty
Historically, the progressives have been all about personal liberty with little economic liberty; and the far right was all about economic liberty with little personal liberty. But those are not the only two choices.
Will Ricciardella finishes this up.
The establishment media’s coverage of Charlottesville describing neo-Nazi’s and fascism as “right-wing,” ignores the history and substance of the groups they are covering, and wrongly lumps them in with American conservatives.
“Fascism is the stage reached after communism has proved an illusion. And it has proved an illusion in Stalinist Russia as much as it has proved an illusion in pre-Hitler Germany” wrote Austrian born Peter Drucker in 1939 in a book exploring the origins of totalitarianism. The complete collapse “of freedom and equality through Marxism …has forced Russia to travel the same road toward a totalitarian, purely negative, noneconomic society, towards unfreedom and inequality that Germany has been following”
There was a time in American history where Benito Mussolini, the originator of fascism, was “lionized” by the American media and politicians. FDR, along with many New Dealers in the early 1930’s, lavished praise on Mussolini, whom FDR referred to as a “that admirable Italian gentleman” with a desire of bringing his programs to the U.S.
Fascism didn’t always carry with it the stain of genocide and virulent anti-semitism as it does today.
What separated Hitler’s Nazism from Mussolini’s fascism was the rise of identity politics through the promise of German euro-centrism, subsuming the individual into the state through racial identity. American conservatism preaches that anyone can assimilate into American culture, and seeks the preservation of the American founding documents, individualism, and the civil society. Group identities based on race are antithetical to all three.
Despite the strong central government, authoritarianism, and a planned economy required under fascism, many in the media still describe Nazism and fascism as “right-wing.” The New York Times described the neo-Nazis and other white supremacists as “far right” groups. The Washington Post followed suit along with many other media outlets referring to Charlottesville as “right-wing” violence.”
The entire article is well worth reading.