Interesting, I was of the other side. I often had space battles with the space sets (White vs Blue) as well as my pirates sets (often colored blue or red based on their sails).
Both sets came with weapons of sorts with pirates having over guns, cannons, etc. But I also built giant dinosaurs, volcanos, and everything else. I was a kid and I was playing.
As an adult I build giant battle scense from Star wars. Recently I build a Pirate combat moc with the re-released Pirate bay set (one assembled as the boat, the other as the cove).
None of these have made me more or less violent, just as I assume you playing with GI Joe didn't you. Playing with things is a healthy way for the mind to work through right and wrong, to conceptualize thoughts in your mind. I would argue repression of these behaviors is far worse.
Lego has never made modern war items, I totally get that and am fine by it. They do however make toys that allow you to play out violence. Jurasic Park, Marvel, DC, Star Wars, hell even Minecraft, all have components of violence. I don't believe in the slightest that any child playing with these toys is predisposed to turn out violent. Just as I wouldn't expect a kid playing with a VTOL craft too.
I would argue part of our problem over the past 15 years has been the result of too much limitation of how we raise children and allow them to interact with the world around them. It's why every thing is blown into a huge issue, because to them it is, when the reality of it is that it just isn't.
I will say being of similar ages, our experiences may have been different than the more younger HN crowd, but I'm glad you had legos and enjoyed them the way you saw fit. I would imagine the creativity and ability to be rewarded for solving challenges played a great impact on you.
Maybe i'm misplaced in thinking that proper parenting is a key to everything. Besides, I would argue kids are exposed to way harsher or riskier things on television / movies / the internet, than they ever would be by building the Osprey.