Help me understand something

[loyalkydem]

Every republican I have met over the last week is under the impression that were going to become a Socialist nation. So out of curiosity I looked it up

According to wikipedia

National Socialism typically refers to ideologies that promote uniting the working class of a specific ethnic, national, or racial lines into a proletarian nation <1> while opposing capitalism, communism, conservatism, international socialism, liberalism and nations, ethnicities or other groups that are deemed to be repressive of national socialism. This idea was espoused by multiple political movements and leaders, especially in Europe including Enrico Corradini and especially and most predominantly the ideology of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (a.k.a. Nazi Party) led by Adolf Hitler. The form of national socialism utilized by Hitler and groups related to the Nazis are often considered as variants of fascism.

One of my close friends and I was shocked that she thought this. I'm thinking, why is she against the idea of uniting the working class? what is she so afraid of? I'm hearing this more and more from the Republicans, help me understand this.

[yardwork]

1. Why do Republicans think that National Socialism has anything to do with Democratic Socialism?

There are a lot of Democratic Socialist countries in the world. Most of Europe, for starters. They are capitalists. They are democracies. Most of them have more freedom than we have in the U.S. They also have more protection - healthcare for everyone, retirement, day care, public transportation. How can they afford this? They don't start unnecessary wars.

[AllieB]

2. There is a huge world of difference between Socialism abd National Socialism.

Please look it up.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. She is just repeating the talking points. She has no idea what Socialism really means.

[Aloha Spirit]

4. people use the word "socialist" in a denigrating way to mean "extreme liberal."

If you asked people for specific examples, they'd probably mention industries shifting to government control, like we see happening right now in the banking sector.

The word is just used like any bad word. Doesn't mean much... People that say that would be more accurate to say "scary liberal."

We already have a lot of socialized services in this country, this doesn't make us scary ideologues.
And Obama is nothing if not pragmatic. A socialist movement in this country would run against an Obama administration.

[endarkenment]

5. Hitler invented 'national socialism' to co-opt working class germans

you looked up the wrong words. Why on earth didn't you look up 'socialism' instead of 'national socialism'?

Socialism, as in democratic socialism, has nothing to do with the fascist movements of the 20's 30's and 40's. There is a weak argument that totalitarian socialism (as in Stalinist Russia) and totalitarian corporatism (as in Nazi Germany) are indistinguishable. They are easy to distinguish, one is totalitarianism from the left, the other from the right, they both have different ideological views and practices regarding economic policy, they both share a totalitarian methodology of government. Compare democratic socialist Sweden to Hitler's Germany if you remain confused.