Quick thread time to avoid getting into Internet arguments about Nazis! Because that's what I want to do on a Saturday night.

National Socialism—a term appropriated to attract German workers to the party—is a form of fascism, in the same group as Franco and Mussolini.

By the way, the ultimate conclusion of this thread is that no, you cannot just "make friends with the Nazis", or that they're just fascists to peacefully protest in of itself.

To quickly summarize, fascism is an authoritarian, ultra-nationalistic, anti-liberal, anti-Marxist ideology. It is not in of itself conservative, but tends to share a lot of conservative ideas and fascists will often ally with conservatives, to gain power in the mainstream.

Please note that when I use Marxist in this thread, I'm encompassing all forms of communism and socialism because word count. There's a difference between liberal and leftists, and while Nazis aren't liberal fans, they, as good little fascists, *loathed* Marxists.

Fascists will ally with conservatives, but it's usually pretty awkward, considering they are ultimately revolutionaries who will destroy social institutions as they see fit.

Conservatives want to preserve the status quo and are pro-capitalist. Fascists want autarky.

The most relevant facet of fascism for this is their stance on violence and other-ing of minorities. They are extremely pro-violence, encouraging unofficial militias, a la Mussolini's black shirts or Hitler's SA (Brown shirts, the original paramilitary wing of the Nazi party)

These civilians will take it upon themselves to try and shut up opposing viewpoints, usually Marxists and the press. They'll also enact violence against minorities labeled as "dangers" to the country (Oh, we'll get there).

Shutting down their opposition will always consist of violence in some fashion, often with state support in the name of "free speech". Here is an unrelated article headline:

A fascist tactic is is saying the country "they love" is "in trouble". Usually because of some minority that's taking control with the help of the Marxists and is ruining everything. (Like, IDK, POC immigrants)

One could say they believe a country needs to be made great again.

The popular example here is Hitler and his anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Marxists, homosexuals, Jews, and loose women were Mussolini's picks, depending on the year.

Oh yeah, and they believe women need to stay home and have more kids. For the good of the country.

If you want to know more about fascism, here's a good article to start with that isn't Twitter: https://www.livescience.com/57622-fascism.html

Fascism tends to come in a lot of different trimmings. Dressed up in love of country, a need for a fight, etc. Mussolini had his Battle for the Births, revitalizing Italy post-WWI. The Nazis, uh. . .we'll get there in a sec. Here's an unrelated picture from NYC 1939.

The article it's from, if anyone's curious: https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2019/02/20/695941323/when-nazis-took-manhattan

With that brief tangent out of the way, what separated Nazis from your garden-variety fascism, and why is punching Nazis specifically such good advice?

Answer: Genocide. Genocide of Jews, of Eastern Europeans, of non-white people, the LGBTQ+ community.

Nazism actively advocates for genocide for anyone who doesn't fit the definition of their "Volk", i.e., the German people; my great-aunt got sent to Auschwitz for being Polish.

Fascists want you out of their country by any means possible. Nazis want you out and dead.

Please note that "any means possible" often turns into genocide, but the extreme anti-Semitism and explicit genocidal goals separate Nazism from the usual fascists (Who are extremely racist pieces of shit in their own right).

Speaking as someone who's queer, you can't really reason with a fascist who views you as subhuman and wants you dead.

I cannot and refuse to appease them, because me living in what they idiotically view as "their country" is antithetical to their goals.

Do I hope they see the light and make amends? Yes. Do I want them to have the resources for such a time? Yes.

Does this redemption arc happen very often? No. Am I, or anyone else they hate, obligated to try and make friends with them? No.

Their hate is on them.

Appeasement will never work with Nazis. They want a violent revolution that gives them their racist dream of a "pure" fascist authoritarian state, and will do what they need to for it to happen.

Nazis. Do. Not. Want. Peace.

So, in conclusion, yes. Do not make peace with the Nazi. Do not pretend they will disappear with enough peaceful protests. I wish they would! But they won't.

Not unless this country rejects them and everything they stand for so utterly, there are no more shadows to hide in.