The display of western culture was so prohibited that there was always a barber at Tirana airport who would cut the hair and beard of those few foreigners who could enter our country. In 1970, on the occasion of a football match between Ajax Amsterdam and Tirana, the Albanian government sent a letter to the Ajax Club Chief Jaap van Praag stating that players would not be allowed to enter Albania if their hair was longer than 4 cm or if they had a beard. Another case exists where the entire Scottish football team Celtic were not allowed to enter the country by the government because all of the players had beards, causing Partizani of Tirana a loss of 0-3 by forfeit. This is just a taste of what my parents’ generation had to suffer during Hoxha’s regime.
出る釘は打たれる
- Deru kugi wa utareru.
- Translation: The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.
I don’t think Americans have any moral high ground on that one. You can’t throw a rock without hitting three things with flags on them. The US is easily the most jingoistic country I’ve ever seen.
It isn’t a contest. We’re both bad at it.
Though when people here want to insist others stand for the anthem or respect the flag, I remind them that sounds like Soviet style force patriotism where attendance was mandatory to parades and the like.
I recently had a conversation about the Pledge of Allegiance with some American friends. They were shocked to hear other democracies don’t do that and that it’s incredibly creepy and weird. Being raised on jingoism is a hell of a drug.
Definitely! I was sure by what you’d written that you were quite familiar with it. The way it was told to me was “the nail that stands out gets hit.” I find similar conformity in my L.A. suburb in the hood - just replace hair color with landscaping.
Having a shitty year myself, so here’s hoping it gets better for both of us.
And it is also funny the most pro-Alligence folks are the most anti-socialist - when the pledge was written by a socialist.
Ah, people are funny.
It sure looks like it one - but then, what in the US isn’t made into a contest?
Gosh. Deviating from the norm is never frowned upon in America… /s
I wonder why? Something to do with a control freak, authoritarian, shit-scared-of-its-people, government and the drastic penalties for ‘sticking out’?
(PS - Welcome to BoingBoing.) 
I recall being in Singapore in the late 1970s and being told that those who entered with hair longer than their collar would get it cut by border guards or be refused entrance. It was largely aimed at locals but as a foreigner you never quite knew where the line was drawn. Very long hair would get you refused entry. My friend had it an inch or two longer than his collar and just tucked it in and got away with it, obvious as it was.
Its [sic] maybe just a little more hidden.
(PS - Welcome to BoingBoing.)
Yeah, that’s how I try to make people feel welcome, by correcting their grammar.
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