Hitler was opposed to Soviet Bolshevism. However, he had no problem labeling himself a socialist. One could say that George Meany and Harry Truman opposed communism, but that would not put them on the right side of the spectrum in your view, would it? I think the analysis requires you to abstractly identify the necessary elements of the class of concepts that make up the "Left," without thinking about Hitler, and then seeing where Hitler fits (and also self-proclaimed leftists).
The opposite of the extreme list is the extreme right only if you imagine political ideology as a linear spectrum. If you imagine political ideology as a circle, then there is little real difference between the extremes. Or you can analyze ideology as a grid with personal liberty on one axis and economic liberty on an other axis, in which case certain extremes are in different quadrants, but would not be extreme opposites of each other. David Shemano ^^^^^^ CB: As I recall , the left/right thing goes back to what side certain sides were in the French legislature some time in the early 1800's. Since then , with Marx, I think the basic binary opposition can be understood as right is pro-capitalism, pro-bourgeoisie in the class struggle, and left is anti-capitalism, pro-working class So, Communists and anarcho-syndicalists are the left, radical left. Socialists or social democrats who are pro-working class but for only reforming capitalism are center-left. Bourgeois parties like Dems are center, and right, depending. They are the most contradictory. Republicans today, are right, some radical right. Fascists are radical right. I'll let Dave define libertarians (smile) _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
