Click on image for a much better pic.
Jee-sus.. I don’t keep my finger on the pulse of what toy manufacturers are doing, but these toys which Bob Barr describes are just creepy.
[M]anufacturers of what used to be nonpolitical plastic figures and construction blocks are subtly moving into the arena of toys with a social message — one that supports and fosters the climate of fear and submission to government power that has unfortunately become the hallmark of American society since Sept. 11, 2001.
Lego, for example, in 2003 began marketing a plastic construction set depicting a police 18-wheeler housing a surveillance unit, complete with monitoring devices and control panels to track movements of little Lego citizens. The official Lego description of the “play set” enticed children and their parents by noting that when the “surveillance truck is on the scene, you know the police are on the job!”
Playmobil, which produces plastic figures for younger darlings, apparently has determined there is a market for toys teaching 4-year-olds the benefit of submitting oneself to intrusive police searches. It markets a “play set” consisting of two uniformed police figures with side arms and metal detectors, ensuring that a unisex figure in bright, colorful clothes submits to a wanding as his or her suitcase goes through an X-ray machine. Interesting that all the Playmobil figures are smiling as they either submit to being searched or are searching through the other’s personal belongings.
I suppose it should not surprise us that toy manufacturers are becoming part of the acculturation process whereby the coming generation views pervasive surveillance and government power as not only a fact of life but highly desirable.
I fhte “shadow government” has the ability to do this in such a subtle manner, and without it being leaked, and traced back. Then no use complaining because we do not have a hope.
Funny how the story references the only two successful educational toy brands: Lego and Playmobil.
Give me a break you don’t really believe that, do you? You must also believe that all the toy guns we used to play with as a kid has made everyone a gun toting criminal. I would worry more about gangster rap music and violent video games before you demonize lego. By the way, isn’t lego made in the great utopia known as Europe.
I love Big Brother.
HEHE LOL I’m sorry this is just so wrong. Lego has been taken over by the Republicans j/k. It’s a freaking toy. Building a Police command trailer that kids see on TV shows with al kinds of High Tech gear is cool not some secret indoctrination for a Police state.
As for the schools using ID tags and doing retinal scans. That’s what you get in a sue happy nation. This is also a side affect of increased divorce rates, single parent families and population. It’s hard to tell who’s who now a days. Is this person his/her father/mother (bio or step) or Guardian? If so do they have permission to see the child or not. This is were a few jerks spoil it for everyone too. There was a time when schools had gun clubs.
For the reccord, LEGO also had a simliar set back in ’94 (http://guide.lugnet.com/set/6348), well before 9/11, I think this new one was just an updated version of the old set.
Puhlese Dvorak – they’re just toys. I played with similar themed Lego kits and Playmobile when I was a kid back in the 70s! Take a chill-pill.
They should just start selling black helicopters and underground alien bases where people are experimented on with aliens. I would buy all the sets I could find. Maybe a white house set that is on top of a 20 story underground “continuity of government” facility.
I’ve had police legos, including a surveillance set since the ’80s. Haha, how very reactionary you are.
I know there was a whole slew of kids growing up to be pirates just about 10 years after they released their Pirate Playset.
Love those Police shows, that TRACk every crook, and arrest them..
anyone know the ACCUAL percentage of crooks caught? Less then 50% I would guess.
I’m going to order the “Soylent Green” Lego(tm) playset for my child. It even comes with the Lego(tm) Scoop-N-Dunk Truck for picking up all the little people.
/Freedom is slavery
Dvorak, this should help you feel better. Lego is a Danish company…..buy Danish…..hahahahahahaha
Brad, I didn’t grow up to be a pirate, except when it comes to software and music…
I would say this is crap. I mean come on the kids dont know any better. There have always been police Legos. And have always had the survalence truck, or whatever you want to call it. I dont think its about descensitizing kids as much as it is about kids hearing there parents talk about all the survalence and airport secruitystuff, and since kids dont understand whats being talked about. They can have another outlet, and play out what they think is happening.
I would buy the aliens underground set and the black copters –
I really want the “mexican Border” set. The latter set comes with HOMELAND Sickers on them, you use the stickers to cover up the holes in the fence.
gquaglia
Wow, three days in a row I agreed with you. Well today I’m not disagreeing, only adding some food for thought about what you posted.
You must also believe that all the toy guns we used to play with as a kid has made everyone a gun toting criminal.
Not everyone. Guns and gun crimes increased dramatically between 1950 and 1990. As a defender of Law and Order, you must see the prevalence of guns on the streets today. I don’t remember them being like that years ago.
Darn, I played with guns too.
I don’t blame recent gun violence on playing with toy guns , I think gangster rap, which glorifies violence, violent video games and movies are more to blame. I always thought playing gun as a kid was fun.
Instead about toys, how about real activities like schools using fingerprints to pay for lunch money, or those ‘kidnapping protection volunteers’ that fingerprint your kids.
Re #16. Thanks a lot Jeremy, read your post and spit coffee on my screen laughing. Brilliant idea about Mex Border! How about developing a Pat Robertson/Wrath of God version–Tsunami, Hurricane, Earthquake, Tornado, Plague, etc? With a White Helicopter.
I presume with your fertile imaginition other Leggo
toy formats you come up with would be popular. Wrath of Allah/Cartoons. US Corps of Engineers/Levee (with corrupt politicians)
*strolls off for more coffee humming Pink Floyd lyrics,
It’s a helluva start
It could be made into a monster
If we all pull together as a team
And did we tell you the name of the game, boy
We call it Riding the Gravy Train*
# 14 I think you have something there.
rap music, video games and movies! Of course!
Gun violence couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the failures of parents to instill in their kids a respect for them, themselves, or the people around them! Parents failures have NOTHING to do with increases in gun violence.
Oh, and neither does the drug trade, or extreme poverty in urban (usually minority, but not 100% of the time) areas. These things have absolutely no effect on upticks in gun violence.
Bob Barr’s the same kind of loon, though, to perceive a purse toting TV character as some kind of temptation to homosexuality.
When was the last time they made a Playmobil figure that didn’t smile? Yeah, before Bob Barr was born, I’ll wager.
Dave B
I thought it was “Dr” Jerry Falwell and his “Moral Majority” who mistook Tinky Winky’s “magic bag” for a purse. They also objected to Earnie’s preferences.
Also, I thought that Barr was becoming more Libertarian and less a Republican radical since they forced him out.