No, the Nazis Were Not Socialists
The idea that the Nazis were socialists is transparently absurd. Unfortunately, it’s also an idea that prominent figures on the Right like Sen. Rand Paul have taken up. So let’s all say it together now: no, the Nazis were not socialists. They were, in fact, committed anti-socialists.
Nazi flags in Hitler’s Germany. (Wikimedia Commons)
“As an online discussion grows longer,” states Godwin’s Law, “the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.” When it comes to attacking democratic socialists, you might hope that this tactic would be limited to shouting matches on Twitter.
But no. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), in his 2019 book The Case Against Socialism, declares, “Hitler was a Socialist.”
It’s tempting to just roll your eyes and move on. But the idea that Nazis were socialists infects the thoughts of many otherwise reasonable people, so it is good to know exactly how to respond. The short version: no, Nazis were not socialists.
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