The question split the room less over Nazism’s record than over who gets to own the word “socialist”. Yes won, but the striking imbalance was that No voters supplied more of the argument, while the clearest Yes case stayed tightly focused on the party’s actual programme and rule.
The floor’s strongest Yes voices pointed to “extreme nationalism, racial hierarchy and antisemitism”, alongside dictatorship, militarism and the rejection of liberal democracy. Another dismissed the naming-game directly: “If you believe the NSDAP were socialists, then I have a bridge to sell you.”
No’s case rested on a political circle in which totalitarian extremes become interchangeable. Its most-respected argument said simply that “politics is a circle”, while other voices insisted that “they were socialists! left wingers extreme infact” and compared Hitler’s Germany with Communist Russia.
The two sides therefore often talked past each other: Yes distinguished authoritarianism founded on equality from a system founded on superiority, while No treated the distinction between far-left and far-right as cosmetic — “Different dogs, same disease!” One No contribution also shifted from classification to jurisdiction, arguing that it was “non of our buisness” what parties Germany or other EU countries allow or ban.
This was less a dispute about the NSDAP’s conduct than a contest over whether labels follow rhetoric or power. The chamber’s verdict favoured the side that treated the party’s policies, racial hierarchy and dictatorship as decisive, leaving the circle argument as the debate’s most persistent dissent.
12 Opinions
It was a far left party
The national socialist party were not far right they were socialists! left wingers extreme infact . imho
If you believe the NSDAP were socialists, then I have a bridge to sell you.
Strange question. Ticks a lot of far right boxes, extreme nationalism, racial hierarchy and antisemitism, authoritarian dictatorship, rejection of liberal democracy, militarism, anti-communism, and the idea of an ethnically defined national community. Anyone using the word' Socialist' in the name to argue to contrary probably also thinks "Democratic" or "People's" in a country's title is also descriptive!
Whilst all the information is correct politics is a circle. The far left and far right are the same totalitarian regimes. Fascism and Communism amount to the same as does Socialism. Communist Russia was no different to Hitler's Germany.
We don't want extremism whichever leaning.
YES But only because I think extreme (left & right) parties IN Britain should be banned. I would also say if we'd of been still part of the EU we would have been entitled to have a say, as Germany is also part of the EU. As we're unfortunately no longer in the EU it's non of our buisness what parties Germany or any other EU country allows or bans.