You’re missing an “All of the Above” option.
This. And it’s an easy and clear definition, too. The poll choices are all, more or less, examples of non-literal extensions of the definition.
Point of fact - he declared in his OP that all options included all the options above them, so “Conservatives - Just any conservative in general” would be “All of the Above”.
Of course in my opinion being a Redhat is to be a white supremacist, so his options are out of order.
I would classify a “Nazi” as a disciple of Adolph Hitler’s policies and ideals. That’s more than just the card-carrying members of the German National Socialist Party-- There are still idiots around today who wear swastikas, name their kids “Adolph”, and so on, and I’m quite comfortable giving them the same label that they attach to themselves.
Trump and most of his supporters are not Nazis, but they are however fascists. Nazis were the German manifestation of fascism. MAGA is the American manifestation.
Anyone who self-identifies as a Nazi.
The bar is considerably lower for terms like “White Supremacist” on down.
I didn’t vote as “all of the above” was not an option. You either are opposed to Herr Donald and all that he represents, or you are a Nazi.
I found the descriptions rather bizarre, so didn’t vote.
Yep.
The vanishingly few zealots (if they still exist) who hold basement meetings to salute old posters of Hitler, Goering and Goebbels, wear Nazi regalia and discuss “Mein Kampf” might be accurately referred to as neo-Nazis.
Calling anyone else a Nazi is indicative of historical ignorance and/or willingness to tar opponents (however odious they might be) with a label that loses meaning when flung about indiscriminately, while insulting actual victims of Nazis.
Call him a Nazi, he won’t even frown
“Nazi, Schmazi” says Wernher von Braun
- Tom Lehrer
Er, the point of that song wasn’t that the term ‘Nazi’ had been defanged. It was that that (allegedly) Wernher von Braun didn’t care who he worked for - Ally, Nazi, whichever.
Victims of Nazi Germany are among those pointing at today’s goings-on and talking about their strong sensations of Deja-moo*. I’m well aware Trump supporters weren’t members of a political party on the other side of the world 80 years ago, and the term is not being used indiscriminately.
Do you get upset when people use ‘decimate’ to mean reduce to ten percent rather than by ten percent?
*They’ve smelled this bullshit before.
I feel like this is technically correct, but “fascist” kind of lacks the punch of Nazi. It’s a rhetorical device more than a statement meant to be strictly accurate. And honestly, a lot of the alt-right are in many ways effectively Nazis. Anybody who attended the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville attended a rally with so many Nazi symbols (both cryptic and overt) that TBH it feels like splitting hairs to make a distinction between Nazi and MAGA Fascist. Honestly, I subscribe to the idea that if 6 people are at a table with one Nazi, you have 7 Nazis sitting at a table (anti-fascist infiltrators notwithstanding).
The folks who sprayed Nazi graffiti all over the Democratic Party’s offices in Oklahoma City yesterday probably don’t have a problem with the term Nazi based on the swastikas and talk of gassing Jews, so why should we? If it steps like a goose…
I’d also like to point out that a Republican recently read Mein Kampf into the congressional record.
Members of the NSDAP between ~'20 and '45. After that they became “former nazi’s”.
The same goes for fascist: a political movement in Italy during the interbellum. Any other definition is made useless.
I mostly agree with your first sentence. I am certain that applying the word Nazi to any group who are not promoting the superiority of the Aryan race and the mass extermination of Jews is incorrect. Your similarly narrow definition of Fascist is interesting.
I would’ve said that Fascism, like Communism, Socialism, Capitalism, etc. could apply broadly as either a set of techniques adopted to gain or increase power, as an ideology, or as a system of government. It isn’t limited to time or place. I wouldn’t have thought to limit the word Fascist to just interbellum Italy. Nazi, however, is a specific proper noun describing a political party or group. It includes neo-Nazis, and others waiving the Swastika, but isn’t a general term for all racists, fascists, or Trump voters.
If you limit the definition of Fascist to only include interbellum Italy, then what word do you use to describe nationalist authoritarianism characterized by right-wing reactionary thinking, appealing to the dominant group, controlling through lies and propaganda, implementation of a police state, promotion of military strength, divisive rhetoric, etc…? Now, that might not be the best definition of Fascism or a complete list of the attributes of Fascism, but my question to you is if you see a politician, political party, or government displaying all of those attributes associated with Fascism, what word do you use to describe it?
And kept describing the Nazis as “socialists” which is ridiculous. That’s like saying North Korea is a democracy simply because it has “Democratic” in its name.
Like Russia under Putin?
It would be simply weird to call Russians fascists.
Let’s stick with “the Putin regime” or some other specific descriptive.
This is how I would classify it as well.
I see.
Would you not say that Nazis were fascists? Or do you simply just call them Nazis and leave it at that?
Rachel Maddow