Serious question: Why do the repukes equate socialism with national socialism?

[Initech]

I literally saw two instances of this today at two separate locations in my town (I live in Orange County, CA) and the first one was a guy who had a poster of Obama with a Hitler mustache. The second one had a sign that said "YES TO FREEDOM, NO TO SOCIALISM". I don't get it. I would like to get to the bottom of this mystery.

[glowing]

1. Stupidity.

[Initech]

2. That was my first guess.

[Cleita]

3. People like Newt Gingrich like to use words that

confuse. So did Hitler. The Nazi Party originally was a worker's party with some socialist ideals. When Hitler became its leader he turned it into something that was far from socialism or favorable to labor but the confusion the name caused suited his purposes. So it also suits the purposes of those who would conflate the national socialism Hitler invented with genuine democratic socialism.

[zeemike]

10. That is what I was going to say...it serves their purpose.

and this is the pattern with the right...the end justifies the means.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. This is a famous rightwing canard.

It goes back at least to usenet debates in the 80's, and probably much earlier.

Why?

a) it is an easy argument to make if one is interested in easy rather than honest debate, as the rightwing totalitarian fascist party in Germany put 'socialist' in their name.

b) having made the argument one can then claim that all totalitarian governments are leftwing.

The irony is that the nazis stuck socialist on their name to confuse left leaning workers into supporting their rightwing anti-socialist party.

[hlthe2b]

5. They are literally that ignorant so as not to know the difference

nor do they understand the meaning of "fascism." "communism," "marxism," nor of course, democracy.

[jwirr]

6. Most of these people are history illiterate. They just plain do not know

the difference. And they are too lazy to educate themselves so they listen to hate mongers.

[Initech]

14. Yeah exactly. They dont educate themselves.

I bet half of them don't even know that the constitution doesn't require a religious test in order to hold public office.

[Forkboy]

7. Because these people are so dumb they look at a calender and ask who June is.

[RoseMead]

9. ...

:rofl:

[Initech]

13. !!!!

:rofl: :spank:

[GReedDiamond]

8. The LaRouche cult...

...were the ones showing up at Dick Armey funded astroturf Teabagger crossburnings anti-healthcare reform "rallies" with Obama w/Hitler mustache posters. They also sit outside of banks and post offices around where I live with the same posters taped to the front of their folding table.

The odd thing about the LaRouche cult is that they claim to be Democrats (LaRouche himself ran for Preznit as a Dem numerous times).

Just the other day I noticed the Obama/Hitler mustache poster has been replaced by one which says: REINSTATE THE GLASS-STEAGAL ACT!

Just know these guys are crazy as the day is long, and they ain't real Democrats, and that's coming from me, a registered independent, who votes Democratic.

[RoseMead]

11. Because they both share the word "socialism"

Therefore they must be the same.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. The wrong pigheadedness of a British political scientists

while the rest of us think of political in right left, for them this is continuum between anarchy (right) to statism, (left) IN this world view, which deviates from standard poli sci, both socialism, national socialist and communism fall in the end of statism, with liberals just to the right of them. While anarchism falls to the right of Libertarians and the GOP just left of Libertarians.

Now to the base, who has been heavily indoctrinated, this makes perfect sense. And why socialism and national socialism (both have that word in there anyway) are the same, even if in reality it is like mixing oil and water.

[WinkyDink]

15. Republicans are classic projectors, being Fascist in sentiment and some being grandsons of Nazi

bank-rollers.

[muntrv]

16. Doncha know? Ferdinand Porsche, Krup, Daimler-Benz, IG Farber, were bastions

of German socialism!:sarcasm:

[kestrel91316]

17. They are illiterate and therefore uneducated and misinformed.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

18. If A = Evil and B = Evil, then A = B.

That's their logic.

[applegrove]

19. Because by moving to the far right neocons and GOPers don't want to

be called fascist or be compared to Hitler. So for years they have been using the fact that 'socialism' was included in the name 'national socialism' to confuse the issue and convince stupid americans that Hitler was to the far left not the far right.

[philly_bob]

20. Confusing historical terms. Like liberal and neoliberal.

And the way Republicans & Democrats switched sides on civil rights in late 19th century.

Of course, Nazi-style "National Socialism" is deadly enemy of Socialism. Much bloodshed.

[madamesilverspurs]

21. Forked tongues.

If a republican says it's sunny outside, I grab my umbrella before I leave the house.


-

[MisterP]

22. % brainlessness

% they don't like it, so they lump it together
% the 50s Cold War consensus: the USSR was Just Like Germany, we're in a war for democracy vs. lying, mass-murdering dictators; at home, leftists were As Bad As George Lincoln Rockwell or the Klan (which was supported by the conservaDems/Dixiecrats shilling this consensus), because if you go far enough from the Center you come around to the right again
% brainlessness