Re: The Problem with Calling Any Form of Nazism "Right Wing"

Submitted by Aymenn Jawad (United Kingdom), May 4, 2009 at 07:10

Dear Orange Yonason:

Whilst it has been noted by Dr. Pipes that certain left-wingers such as H.G. Wells supported Nazism, it is unfair to essentialise and charecterise the whole political Left as akin to Nazism. Leftism is a political movement with diverse branches: ranging from social democrats to communists. Yes, Hitler did espouse some elements of socialism but I do not think many social democrats or even those to the Left of social democrats would agree with the Nazis' eugenicist programmes, their imperialist-expansionist ambitions, their belief in the superiority of the Aryan race, and their disgust for civil liberties in general (e.g. their banning jazz music and their homophobia). With all this said, howbeit, I am not claiming that only fringe minorities on the Left ever supported totalitarian movements (leftist sympoathy for the USSR in the Cold War is duly noted), but making the generalisations that you do is just ad hominem par excellance.

Yours faithfully,

Aymenn Jawad.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".