Jim360 - “Just because the Nazis called themselves socialist doesn't make them so.”
Yes it does. It really does. Particularly if their political manifestos were socialist in nature, which they were. As an example, the Nazi manifesto says (amongst many other things) that:
* We demand the nationalization of all trusts.
* We demand profit-sharing in large industries.
* We demand an agrarian reform in accordance with our national requirements, and the enactment of a law to expropriate the owners without compensation of any land needed for the common purpose.
I think it's reasonable to say that when someone or some group propose socialist policies, espouse socialist agendas, say that they are socialists and carry out socialist programmes, then it's pretty safe to assume that they're socialists. To further emphasise the point, here is an essay written by Joseph Goebbels himself in 1932. In it, there is a section titled, “Why Are We Socialists?” whereby he explains explicitly that the Nazis are socialists and the reasons for this:
https://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/haken32.htm
Your argument seems to be that a person isn't what they say they are if you disagree with their assertion. That's a very weak argument, particularly if the person (or group) in question acts in a way that demonstrates that their conviction is genuine.
The Nazis were socialists and fascists. Ergo, they were on the far left of the political spectrum. No amount of hand waving or misdirection can change that fact. It may not be a fact you particularly like but facts don't care about your feelings.