Socialismand Fascism 159planned,rationalized,and cartelized;a process,Millspointedout, whichenabledcapital-
ists to continueto wieldpowerin the Fasciststatealongwiththe party,the bureaucracy,
and the military.”^54
It wouldseemthatAmericanacademicianswhowishedfor socialismto triumphover
the nightwatchmanstatehavelikewisewantedto avoidhaving“their” socialismbe
comparedwithNationalSocialism.Thatis whyleft-wingacademiciansproclaimNazisto
be fakesocialists.Therealsocialists,theyinsist,are the muchmorebenignmembersof
WesternEuropeanLabourparties.Oncethe UnitedStatesenteredthe secondWorldWar,
and the Leftrealizedthatthe Sovietstheyfavoredcouldnot avoidwaragainstItalyand
the ThirdReich,everyonefromthe Leftto the centerof the politicalspectrumtookto
referringto the Nazisasfascistsratherthansocialists.Thattendencycameto be normal-
izedin the generalculture,andtherecamea pointwheremoderatesandconservatives
alsocameto referto Nazisas fascistsandto assumethatneitherthe fascistsnor the
nationalsocialistswererealsocialists.Therevisionistapproachto the termsfascistand
nationalsocialistdoesnot foolauthorJamesCrossGiblin,though.InThe Life and Deathof
AdolfHitler, GiblindescribesNaziismas a “combinationof socialism,nationalism,and
anti-Semitism.”^55 Despitehis ownrefusalto toleratea freemarketin biotechnology,a
similaranalysisarrivesvia BritishphilosopherJohnGray,whoacknowledges“Commu-
nism’s clearaffinitieswithFascism,” andthat“in importantrespectsCommunismand
Fascismwereat one.” An obviousaffinitywasthat“the twowerealikein viewingmass
killingas a legitimateinstrumentof socialengineering.” Just as I do, he findsit disturbing
that,throughoutthe 1900s,acknowledgingthe kinshipbetweencommunismand fascism
has been“distinctlyunfashionable—in academiccontexts,a... damninglyfinaldismis-
sal.” Perhapsmorepertinentto our discussion,Graythankfullyalsoidentifies“the hide-
ous Nazivision” as “a mix of the völkischchimeraof a seamless‘organic’ culture,fraudu-
lent ‘racialscience’ and revolutionaryanti-capitalism.. .”^56 Anddespitehis ownaversion
to individualistenterprise,GeorgeOrwell,as well,recognizedthatNaziismstoodop-
posedto peaceableegoismand marketeconomics,exploitingthe commonculturalbelief
of the gloriesof self-renunciation.Naziism,wrotethe Britishauthor,espoused“self-
sacrifice... Whereas... capitalism” has marketeditselfas an ideologyto Germansby
promisingthem,“... ‘I offeryoua goodtime,’ Hitlerhas saidto them‘I offeryou
struggle,dangerand death,’ and as a resulta wholenationflingsitselfat his feet.”^57
NaziAnti-Capitalism
Hitlerhimselfwouldscarcelyrecognizethe laissez-fairelackeythat modernanti-busi-
nessscholarshavedepictedhimto be. His combinationof socialismwithnationalismis
exhibitedin his statementfromJuly28, 1922:“Whoeveris preparedto makethe national
causehis ownto suchan extentthathe knowsno higheridealthanthe welfareof his
nation.. .—thatmanis a Socialist.”^58 Skepticsagainstvolitionismmightscoffthatthis
demonstratesthatHitler’s definitionof socialismwastoo vague.The doubterscan retort
thatwhenHitlercalledhimselfa socialist,his “pseudo”-socialismjettisonedtraditional
socialism’s (1) hostilitytowardcapitalismand (2) codifiednationalizationof the utilities.
Althoughthe Führerlost interestin the secondpreceptduringhis reign,he neverforgot
the first.On May1, 1927,Hitlerexplainedthe NaziParty’s motivesin greaterdetail—“We
are socialists,we are enemiesof today’s capitalisticeconomicsystemfor the exploitation
of the economicallyweak,withits unfairsalaries,withits unseemlyevaluationof a
humanbeingaccordingto wealthandproperty...”^59 TheFührerwasnot aloneamong
partymembersin holdingthisattitude.WilliamL. Shireridentifiesthe vastswathsof
Hitler’s stormtroopers,theSA, as “anticapitalist.”^60 NiallFergusonis thereforecorrectto