Re: On growing beards

[Bogie3200@aol.com]

>...About a year ago I discovered a smilar phrase in a George Orwell article.
 He 
>discusses British Communist Party members who became anti-communists after
the 
>Hitler-Stalin Pact and said that they "grew their beards."  I would assume
that the 
>phrase means to radically change one's political beliefs.

About 15 years ago I seem to recall a History major telling me that there was
an instance, perhaps in Russia, where the rulers had beards and rebels
didn't; when the rebels prevailed, they suddenly were growing beards.  This
instance of the new rulers taking on a visible characteristic of the ones
they deposed would certainly be consistent with the line 'Meet the new boss,
same as the old boss.'

But the British Communist Party angle would certainly be a more likely point
of reference for Pete, who's not only British but has demonstrated a strong
interest in World War Two (not only via the Tommy movie, but also in I've
Known No War and English Boy).

Rich B.