Politically Correct Modeling?

Captain's Log Stardate 100406.17

Ah...the afternoon entry. I realised when I re-arranged my models in the display cabinets that there are a number of 1/72 planes and 1/35 tanks that can be bought to fill in the empty slots. As usual, I berangan first - which planes / tanks to get. A number of candidates came up...and I was thinking of getting an Israeli F-16D Sufa or the Kfir and the Merkava MBTs. But then a little version of me pops up alongside, asking this question - do you want to buy models of planes and tanks that are used to kill innocents? The second question asked by Mini-Me is that do I really want to have the emblem of the IDF-AF in my house, with people asking...why is this ^%*&^%% Israeli planes/ tanks in your collection? Well, it is time to ponder....

I do have a conscience at first, with Israel being the Muslim World's #1 enemy. And their weapons are used to suppress the Palestinians. However, after looking at a Gempur Wira member's collection which includes Kfirs, I thought - hey, why not? It is just a model anyway. I'm not making any political statement with my models and besides if I follow that line of thinking - weapons used to kill fellow Muslims, I might as well chuck off over 70% of my collection as they include US and Russian planes which are used over Iraq and Afghanistan! A model is just that....a scale representation of a military hardware, whoever their users are. Besides my collection of modern MBTs would not be complete without a Merkava. So anyway, it looks like there are 3 slots for 1/72 planes and 5 slots for 1/35 tanks...and also for one 1/350 ship and upwards to six 1/48 WW2 planes. My wishlist looks like this:

1/72

F-15E Eagle

F-16D Sufa / big spine...either Israeli or the Singaporean...I prefer the Israeli one...don't want another boring gray plane....

either the J-10 or J-8II fighter from PRC

1/35

Merkava - I prefer the Academy's Mk II - reviews said that it is better than the Mark III

Leopard 2A6

LeClerc

Challenger II

either the T-80 or the Ariete

1/350

HMS Hood

1/48

Hellcat

Spitfire late series, probably the Mark XIV

Ki-61 or Ki-100

Macchi 202 or 205

Ju 87 Stuka

P-40

Dauntless

Oh well...those are just berangan list...need to finish my current stash first! Besides my 'military' budget is severely cut for the next few months!

Tomorrow is a holiday....yippeee!