With all due respect to those who suffer from premature hair loss, it used to be that a bald man was old. The Estonian proverb even says it best: “Hallpead austa, kulupead kummarda” - honour the grey-haired, bow in front of the bald one. The meaning is simple - the men have lived so long that they deserve respect.
These days, however, so many young people are shaving their heads, that the significance of the Estonian saying is gone. Professional athletes, most notably African-American, particularily basketball players shave their scalps smooth as, I guess, an in your face statement. And indeed, some of the tough guys of history were bald-pated, Il Duce for one.
Others, however, are using a shining chrome dome as a symbol of belonging to a specific organization, of having certain beliefs. Not good ones. You sure can say that about the ideals of skinheads, white extremists who are proliferating at an alaarming rate. I believe that the skinheads originated in the U.K., originally through the alternative music scene, spreading to mostly disaffected white young thugs living on the edge of poverty, involved with crime and anti-social behaviour, expressed through racist sentiment and vandalism. Soccer hooliganism carried this to Europe, where in Germany many followed suit. There the skinhead movement took on a frightening aspect, that of virulent, open fascism.
The resurrection of right-wing extremism has long been a concern for the politicians and police forces of Europe. Now the movement has spread to Russia, the ramifications of which have already had chilling consequences.
Synagogues have been vandalized recently in Russia and in Ukraine. This provides fodder for other anti-semitic action, and has not gone unnoticed by the Wiesenthal centre, and other organizations. While the message of the western media is not alarmist, (as has been the case with many anti-semitic issues), the media is understandably cautious to not antagonize the Wiesenthals and other organizations of the chosen people.
Two interesting items were reported from Russia, centering on Hitler’s birthday, which fell on April 13th.
The first, curiously, came from the Japanese Embassy. Ironically, in Japan, too, the bald head has significance in the warrior class, and Japan, too, has a history of intolerance and extremism to those different from them.
It seems that the diplomatic representatives of the land of the Rising Sun received an e mail mesage from a man describing himself as “Ivan” who threatened to kill all foreigners in Russia. The Japanese issued a warning to all Japanese citizens in Moscow to avoid walking on the streets where youth groups congregate. Ivan’s e-mail reportedly said that, to mark Adolf Hitler’s birthday, Russian fascists intend to “murder all of the foreigners they come across”. It advised Japanese citizens to leave Russia immediately. I guess The Russo-Japanese war, over for almost a century, has not been forgotten. But the fascists forget who were Hitler’s ally in WW II - Japan, and Italy, ruled by that bald headed gent, Benito-baby himself.
Another item of interest was a report from The Center for Interethnic Cooperation, a Moscow-based NGO tracking hate crimes and promoting tolerance. The NGO reports an “abrupt increase” in skinhead activity in Moscow and other Russian cities. The center believes the rise in attacks by fascist youth groups as being attributable to media portrayals of migrants as being to blame for economic problems. Other monitors noted the surge in assaults by skinheads to Hitler’s birthday.
Russian police estimate that there are about 10,000 skinheads active in Moscow, mostly boys aged 12-18, who carry out these attacks.
In confirmation, viewers of CTV’s 11 pm national newscast on April 21 were shown interviews with Moscow’s street gang members, victims of assaults, and evidence of organized fascism. The last was disturbingly shown by a montage from the headquarters of a Hitlerjugend-type organization. Rows of orderly, well dressed in uniforms complete with black ties and swastikas, all sporting skinheads, raising their right hand in an emphatic salute.
That this can take place in Russia, where not long ago even speaking German publicly was treated with horror, is startling. It confirms though that slavic xenophobia, hatred of others is alive and well.
Meanwhile, from a Baltic perspective, where Russian extremists have been demanding “rights” even in view of tolerance, this question may have long-term ramifications. The Russian “human rights” activists petitioning various European NGO’s and demanding minority rights keep forgetting that they come from Eurasia’s most populous nation. What do they have to fear?
Of concern as well is the relative indifference of the West. If not directly anti-semitic (as is the case with skinheads) those watching the CTV news probably shrugged it off as a European problem.
It gives greater cause then to accelerate the total inclusion of the Baltics into the European system, from NATO to the EU. The Baltic lobby must be supported by Baltic American and Canadians.
The dancing Russian bear generally wears red pants - but could in no time at all put on a black shirt. Extremism is extremism, as Europe well knows, the legacy of totalitarian rule, whether fascist or communist is alive and well. Beware the bear.
Editorial: Follically and intellectually challenged
Arvamus
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