Believe it or not, the US Army was so impressed by toy maker Lund and Company's Hydrogen Fuel Rocket that it has hired the toy manufacturer to develop a more lethal version of the rocket. It will be called Variable Velocity Weapon System and will be capable of switching from lethal to non lethal and could be ready in about 18 months.
After reading this I instantly thought of a childhood film whose subtext has remained as vividly engrained in my brain as the story itself , 1992's "Toys". After his toy maker father's death, Robin Williams must deal with his military uncle who is left in charge of the family toy factory. The uncle quickly begins to discontinue and cut certain areas of the factory while focusing on highly restrictive secret projects.
His secret projects were definitely prolific as he was using video games to train children violent and strategic military tactics. The games were very similar to the standard and popular video games which have become staples of every gaming console known today. He was also working on actual toys which were being manufactured as weaponry: tanks, rockets, helicopters.
It just seems so eerie that a film which I saw as a young boy has seemed to come full circle into 2008 with the idea of toys as potential weapons for the military.
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