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Germany

After German 'Hair Force' Jokes, Military Brass In Berlin May Ban Piercings, Tattoos

In the swinging 70s, the long-locked “German Hair Force” was a major source of embarrassment for the country’s military leaders. Forty years later, the German Armed Forces are once again struggling with image issues, this time related to tattoos and pierc

German soldiers in full camouflage (Bundeswehr/Stollberg)
German soldiers in full camouflage (Bundeswehr/Stollberg)


*NEWSBITES

BERLINIn 1971, then Defense Minister Helmut Schmidt declared a war on "mop tops," issuing his ill-fated "hairnet decree" as a way to convince German soldiers to stop growing their hair modishly long. Schmidt assumed soldiers would voluntarily have their hair cut shorter rather than wear a wimpy net.

He thought wrong. Soon the whole world was making fun of the "German Hair Force." Worse still, military doctors reported an upswing in "oily sticky hair and dirty bed linen," and even parasites, because soldiers' manes weren't getting enough air under the helmets and weren't combed often enough.

A year later, Schmidt reversed the decree. Henceforth, soldiers' hair could not be long enough to touch either their shirt collar or their uniform when their head was in an upright position. Nor was hair permitted to cover either eyes or ears.

The rule still applies today. Regulations state that "modish haircuts are allowed as long as they are not out of the ordinary either in color, cut or shape." Punk doos, Mohawks, pony tails and braids are not allowed. Soldiers can wear long sideburns and beards only when on leave.

Toward a ban on body art

These days, however, an even more pressing concern for Germany's top brass are the tattoos and piercings that are popping up on the arms, in the ears – and elsewhere – of their young troops. Already they are a growing source of conflict between soldiers and their superiors. What happens, for example, when a nose ring is judged to be too large because it could catch on a rifle?

So far, the words "tattoo" or "piercings' have yet to appear in any regulations. Germany's current minister of defense, Thomas de Maizière, is hoping to change that. He recently ordered a re-write of the Joint Service Regulations. The new "Dress Code and Outward Appearance of Male and Female Soldiers in the German Federal Armed Forces' will be issued in the summer of 2013. More specific rules relating to visible body ornamentation are likely to appear even sooner.

Read the full story in German by Simone Meyer

Photo - Bundeswehr/Stollberg

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Economy

Soft Power Or Sportwashing? What's Driving The Mega Saudi Image Makeover Play

Saudi Arabia suddenly now leads the world in golf, continues to attract top European soccer stars, and invests in culture and entertainment... Its "soft power" strategy is changing the kingdom's image through what critics bash as blatant "sportwashing."

Footballer Karim Benzema, in his Real Madrid kit

Karim Benzema during a football match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium on June 04, 2023, in Madrid, Spain.

Pierre Haski

-Analysis-

PARIS — A major announcement this week caused quite a stir in the world of professional golf. It wouldn't belong in the politics section were it not for the role played by Saudi Arabia. The three competing world circuits have announced their merger, putting an end to the "civil war" in the world of pro golf.

The Chairman of the new entity is Yassir Al-Rumayan, head of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. Add to this the fact that one of the major players in the world of golf is Donald Trump – three of the biggest tournaments are held on golf courses he owns – and it's easy to see what's at stake.

In the same week, we learned that two leading French footballers, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté, were to join Saudi club Al-Ittihad, also owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. The amount of the transfer is not known, but it is sure to be substantial. There, they will join other soccer stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo.

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