Atlanta Journal Constitution
by Bob Barr

02/15/06

I have, however, noted a distressing trend in some manufacturers of modern toys, including Lego and another popular line of plastic figures for smaller children -- Playmobil. These manufacturers 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!' Further encouragement to hone one's surveillance skills was to be found in the 'technology to monitor' included in the toy...

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/stories/0215edbarr.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp