What do you call the guy who abhors the tenets of national socialism but joins the Nazi party solely for the opportunity to sabotage the movement from within? Are they also a Nazi?
Would you consider all members of group X to be represented by X?
That’s an interesting question. I’m not sure I’ve ever thought about it, but definitionally, I think I’d have to say they’re a Nazi. Especially if they’re, like, presenting golden trophies to curry favor with higher-ups in the organization.
The obvious counterexample is a deep undercover cop - are they a member of the mafia or a biker gang? I’d say no since they’re operating under the color of law, but it’s a pretty analogous situation.
This leaves aside the question of partisans, members of the resistance or just surly shop stewards enforcing union work rules to the letter were more effective Nazi opponents than a guy who aimed to take the organization down from the inside. I have my suspicious.
How about IBM? They supplied nazis the punch cards they needed to process the data they collected to round up jews and other marginalized groups and put them into concentration camps through a subsidiary and refuse to this day to be transparent about it. Are they Nazis?
The number tattooed on every concentration camp prisoner was an IBM number.
The German IBM subsidiary was, in my book, a collaborator for sure and morally culpable. I don’t have a view on whether a private enterprise can be a Nazi.
Would you consider all members of group X to be represented by X?