It's good to know that Geobra have a medium-term plan and are trying to live up to it - at the same time it's a grey area. They produce modern armed police and hunters carrying high-powered telescopic rifles, but shy away from modern armies. Of course if they also said they'd never produce Romans or Dinosaurs, so it'll be interesting to see if the company can continue to thrive, or even survive, without resorting to military means. 
Unfortunately if they do produce modern military stuff, i'll be buying it. 
But, I think the real reason PM shies from modern military is the problem of WWII. It's a thorny topic for a German toy company. I don't think PM could make a toy that gives the appearance of commemorating vestiges of WWII. So, yeah, it's false when PM claims it won't make war toys (knights, Romans, etc contradict that). I think this is more than political correctness. Geobra operated during the Nazi era--even if it didn't collude with the Nazi party--and it's probably touchy to commemorate the time with a toy line.
I bet, though, after another generation, things will change. We humans have short memories...
I'm disappointed, but not suprised, thay the UK is seen as having more Americanised tastes than the rest of Europe.
Hey Martin, we Americans are just Britishers with some Dutch and German blood thrown in. It's not a coincidence that England, America, and Australia are close allies politically and culturally.
At least, with Europe on our doorstep, it's not that expensive to hop across the Channel and soak up some European culture. If you like in the US, it's far less easy to leave your country and experience other tastes and values, which is a great shame.
At the same time, we have Canada and Mexico. But I agree there is something oddly insular about the USA.
On the other hand, it's not fair to completely depreciate American culture. As a melting pot, America is far more heterogeneous than Europe or even England. Despite the 9/11 bombings, our Muslems enjoy greater assimilation and opportunity than their French equivalents.* (*But, I think Black Americans of American ancestry are less assimilated here than in England--I'm not certain)
I mean, we aren't all "ignorance and evil", a resurgent dark age casting its shadow across the face of the globe.
At the same time, I agree there is a sort of insularism about American culture. My environment is nearly entirely white protestant (though I don't live in a major city--even Belgium has its hick towns). Americans love athletes and dis-trust intellectuals. Surviving as a male appears to involve a litmus test of one's ardor for basketball or football--and contempt for life's more sedentary activities (minus television).
But, these are all stereotypes.
It was only 50 years ago that Europe was a nest of feuding totalitarian states. So enlightenment appears to be a fluid thing......
-Tim
