This is a bit ridiculous though. It's not a set designed to represent a weapons mounted combat airship. By the same notion, I would argue the Star Wars series, Marvel Series, DC Series, etc. all represent violence and violent actions (to include guns, explosions, massacre etc.). Simulated or Fake violence is still the projection of violence.
We have to draw the line some where and stop this nonsense. Brushing reality under the carpet doesn't and won't change anything. Are we to now pull every toy used as a means of expression for children? How many dolls fight? How many transformers are military vehicles? How many kids have water guns and balloons?
People need to relax and get worked up over real issues facing the world like, literal ongoing slavery, child exploitation, human trafficking. But instead because those are hard, they focus on something like this to get their feel good dopamine kick.
It looks like they already did draw the line somewhere, just like you suggest. They made a mistake and crossed their line they had already drawn earlier, and now stepping back behind the line.
Star Wars licensed toys are OK. Military aircraft are not, because they kill real people and the licensing money goes directly to the aircraft manufacturer.
You can take thousands if not millions of products in use today, directly created by and for the military in multiple nations and make this argument. Does that mean we stop using them? That we disconnect from every service or tech provider that provides tech or services to a military?
Is the argument that the Boeing association will make Children / Adults more violence prone because of the relationship of this Craft? What about Nasa and the space race, fueled by the Cold War? What about Jurassic Park where we are perpetuating an un healthy understanding of science... Star Wars where the exact goal is to defeat the empire with Blasters, Light Sabers, and other destructive means.... Everyone and anyone can make any argument as to why every one of these things is bad. Kids need to play, toys allow them to work through emotions. Proper parenting can easily address this if it's really a concern.
It's plastic toys, designed to foster excitement and respect for engineering. It's a cop of out for Woke Culture and it's yet another example of extreme views alienating not only the right, but those of use that are realists on the left.
Let's get ahead of all this and just stop using the internet and all the luxuries of modern life because most are related to empirialistic behaviors and benefactors of military might and conquest.
That sounds like a good argument for not drawing the line at the more extreme end. But that's not where Lego drew the line. A different toy company might decide to not produce anything related to violence, and yet a different toy company may decide to abandon using the internet and all the luxuries of modern life for the reasons you specify.
But that's not what Lego did. You said you have to draw a line, and they drew a line to the left of military vehicles and to the right of Star Wars and allowing themselves to use the internet.
I grew up playing with a lot of realistic toy guns and WWII era tanks. I hardly ever see kids play with that. I don't think Lego is the only company who decided not to make war vehicles, and I think many toy companies made this decision long, long time ago.
I think you need to relax and get worked up over real issues, rather than getting mad that a company exercised its freedom to choose not to sell toys that represent real life military vehicles.
They have chosen to draw a line. They don't produce toys that represent real military vehicles. You just don't like the line. I suppose you will have to purchase your toy military models elsewhere.
I work regularly on "real issues", i've spent a lot of time in Northern Africa working on these issues, notably human traffic and slave trade. Have you? I'm a consenting adult that purchases lego as an outlet. In fact, the largest group purchasing these sets are AFOL.
They didn't chose to draw a line, they let a mob draw it for them.
Rifles, pistols and weaponry in Star Wars, Pirates, Jurassic Park etc. all bear resemblance to modern firearms.
We regularly found pre WWII Era weapons in Afghanistan, Iraq, and throughout Northern Africa.
In this instance "Realistic weapons don't apply". The argument must stand on equipment children might recognize from hotspots around the world.
There are hundreds of Jets, Police vehicles, Helicopters, Cars, Trucks, that are all based on vehicles in use by the military. The only variance with the Osprey was the branding.
Lego recently pulled Police and Firemen sets for the same arguments. So lets say I agree.
Why did Lego remove promotion for the White House Architecture set? It doesn't represent weapons or military equipment? They did it because someone decided that it was a symbol of oppression. It's pure lunacy.
All of these sets were manufactured after 2010. The only commonality is that someone felt offended. In fact, I can't find any historic evidence of either of these situations having ever happened in the history of Lego (one that is long and varied). It all happened within the past couple of months.
You can't say it's not complete hysteria over nonsense. Forcing all these brands to bend to your unique opinion is horrible. The fact that they're bending is just as deplorable.
Thankfully some brands like Redbull are pushing back.
We have to draw the line some where and stop this nonsense. Brushing reality under the carpet doesn't and won't change anything. Are we to now pull every toy used as a means of expression for children? How many dolls fight? How many transformers are military vehicles? How many kids have water guns and balloons?
People need to relax and get worked up over real issues facing the world like, literal ongoing slavery, child exploitation, human trafficking. But instead because those are hard, they focus on something like this to get their feel good dopamine kick.