Well gee whiz, J.E. guess where else trade unions, cooperatives and strikes were prohibited? Yes, that's right, the Soviet Union! And don't look now, but Communist China also has none of these! Nor do the North Koreans! Or Cuba! When you arrive in that wonderful state of human brotherhood known as socialism, since all industries are 'owned' by the people and run by the leaders of people, and work towards the common good of all workers, there is no need to strike against the bloodsucking capitalists! In a symbolic gesture to eradicate this vile remnant of the oppressive imperialist capitalist system, we will make striking illegal! Proletariat of all nations, unite!
Let's define left-wing, at least in the context of this discussion (we're not discussing the difference between Joe Lieberman and John Kerry). Left-wing is the poltics of the collective good outweighing individuals (social liberalism is not a defining factor of leftism, nor is it exclusive to leftism by a long shot). Avoid it all you want, but that is the one defining aspect of left-wing politics as it has existed in the past 100 years. National Socialism was no less socialism than that of the Soviet union - although Hitler was not so stupid as to nationalize all industries. Whereas Lenin publicly pandered more to the 'working class', Hitler pandered more to the 'German people' (hence *national* socialism). As to social issues - homosexuality was illegal in the Soviet Union as well as Nazi Germany, Jews were persecuted in both places. Freedom of speech did not exist.
As to people supporting Hitler in the early 30s, keep in mind that much like during most of the 20th century, everyone opposed Communists, and supported most everyone who opposed them. Much as Hitler turned out to be heinous evil, anyone with a knowledge of 20th century history knows that it was the lesser of two. Communists killed, by a conservative (not in the poltitical sense) estimate, one hundred million people. Others put the number as high as two hundred million. So the idea that conservatives supporting a socialist against full-blown communists makes the socialist conservative is ludicrours. The US supported Iraq in the Iraq-Iran war - does that make Saddam (a Baath socialist) a conservative? Roosevelt allied with Stalin against the Germans - did that make him a Commie?
Hitler opposed the Communists because he was, besides being a socialst, a *nationalist* as well. He had no desire for an international Communist revolution which would ultimately make Germany a part of the Soviet Union. Opposing world-dominating communists does not make you a conservative. It's like saying I'm a vegetarian because I don't like fish.
Nazi Germany was a collectivist society that vilified individualism - all must work for the glory of the German people and listen to the people's glorious leader - Hitler. Now substitute Germany with 'Cuba'. Hitler with 'Castro'. Or 'Russia' and "Stalin'. 'China' and 'Mao'.
Now try 'America' and 'Reagan'. Doesn't work.
"The United States of America was a collectivist society that vilified individualism - all must work for the glory of the American people and listen to the people's glorious leader - Reagan."
Anyone who doesn't see the inherent ludicrousness of the above sentence, they're nuts.
