People could and did profit from the Nazi era. It wasn't totally free market, then again the US isn't totally free market either, most companies have to pay tax (though some seem to get money from the govt and pay nothing) and have to abide by laws and regulations.
In Nazi Germany this was MORE EXTREME (hence why it's called FAR-right) however it wasn't much different except the extremity.
I thought the TEA party was the far right because they wanted more free markets and less government. Now, it's big government and crony capitalism that is far right. What does that make the TEA party? Leftists?
To say that corporations in Nazi Germany weren't totally free is a bit breath taking. They were free to serve the Fatherland and not a hell of a lot more. Those that played ball did very well but that is hardly capitalism or right wing or conservative.
No, big govt/small govt is a US interpretation of left and right. No one else actually bothers with this interpretation.
What does it matter what other people do? All you're saying is that their definition of left/right is idiotic and contradictory. If it doesn't mean government control of the economy vs. economic freedom, then what doesn't mean? Whenever leftists are asked to define the term, they give no answer or they give a muddled mass of contradictions. Racism doesn't make an ideology "right-wing." Neither does nationalism. The only criteria that makes any sense is the economic spectrum of government control vs. economic freedom.
Yes, the definitions of left and right are loose, very loose. They started as something which defined two groups and where they sat. However we need labels for things and far left and far right have become labels for some kind of extreme government that does certain things.
We could explain Nazism and Communism in Germany and Russia in full every time we want to describe it, but it's easier to use a simple label.
But the fact is, it is a simple form. We know Nazism was more complex. Like I've said it was mostly Extreme and Mostly right.
I'm left wing, but i support things that are on the right, hence why I'm more center left than anything else. I'm also closer to Libertarianism than whatever is on the other side of that spectrum.
There problem here is the debate has changed from being what is far left and far right to "Hitler was a Socialist" when he clearly wasn't.
Often one thing doesn't make something left wing or right wing, as I said, I support some traditionally right wing policies. Does that make me right wing? No it doesn't.
So you have to put things into perspective.
