What the Nazis Had in Common With Every Other Collectivist Regime in the 20th Century

One hundred years ago-on July 29, 1921-Adolf Hitler assumed the leadership of the National Socialist German Workers Party, better known as the Nazis.

Michael Rieger argues that some of the confusion about how to label Nazi economics stems from socialism's ever-shifting varieties.

The wide variance between utopian socialism, communism, national socialism, and democratic socialism makes it remarkably easy for members of each ideology to wag their fingers at the others and say, "That wasn't real socialism." However, there is one common thread in each of these definitions of socialism.

Rather than admit that Nazism was socialist and disastrous, diehard socialists declare "That wasn't socialism." It would be more honest if they just said, "Oops." But they typically react the same way to failed socialist experiments everywhere, from the Soviet Union to Venezuela.

Cases of socialism they don't like: "Not true socialism." Cases of capitalism they do like: "Not true capitalism." Socialists always lose on economics, so they try to win with word play.

Cases of socialism they don't like: "Not true socialism."

The State should retain control; every owner should feel himself to be an agent of the State; it is his duty not to misuse his possessions to the detriment of the State or the interests of his fellow countrymen.

https://fee.org/articles/what-the-nazis-had-in-common-with-every-other-collectivist-regime-in-the-20th-century/