The United States' first "Secretary of War" since 1947, a man flaunting tattoos tied to white nationalist symbology, Pete Hegseth delivered the US Military's top leadership a spastic rant. Hegseth's sudden obsession with "beardos" masked something darker: a policy to bleach the Armed Services.
Daily Kos shares a solid analysis of the racism and exclusion behind Hegseth's innocuous-sounding drive to remove beard waivers for troops. The troops impacted will be people you'd expect a man suspected of white power leanings to force out.
There are only two reasons for it: religious exemption or medical necessity. Several religions require beards, including Islam and Sikhism, and many Orthodox Jews also wear beards because of tradition and Biblical interpretations on how to trim them.
That makes it obvious enough what's going on here—Hegseth and MAGA are thrilled to hide anti-Muslim bigotry behind a supposedly religion-neutral policy. Less obvious is the policy's devastating impact on Black service members.
The medical exemption is for pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB, a painful condition in which curly hair grows back into the skin, causing acne-like bumps and scarring. It disproportionately affects Black men. A 2013 study found that between 45–80% of Black men suffer from PFB.
Even at the low end, half of Black men in uniform can no longer serve without permanently scarring their faces. Latino men are also more prone to the condition.
DailyKos
Trump has been pretty clear about wanting Generals who'd blindly follow orders. Seems he and Hegseth want an army of crusaders.
Previously:
• Hegseth's church thinks 'The Handmaid's Tale' had some really good ideas about society
• Pretty-boy Hegseth splurges on makeup room in the Pentagon
• Hegseth's pledge to remain sober is adorably consequence-free
• White House reportedly looking for Hegseth replacement
• Peter Hegseth's approval with Republicans is underwater. Seniors loathe him
• Deep state somehow forces Hegseth to fire his own allies, share war plans with family
