What Would A Timeline of World War II Look Like If Facebook Existed Back Then?

"If Facebook existed during WWII."

http://u3057p1517.ilyke.net/if-facebook-existed-during-wwii-/15611


Not even sure how I ran into this, but it was pretty funny.

Now, mind you, if you look at it and find something offensive, I believe it is meant to poke fun as much at the lightheartedness of online communications these days as it is a humorous, and obviously very detached, look at World War II, which itself was nothing to laugh about, most certainly.

I was looking at the comments following the post, and some were boring and predictable - the French bringing white flags, for example. Or the justification of America's bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Fortunately, I did not see any overtly anti-Semitic rantings, although it would not surprise me if this was the case. But I normally try not to look at people's comments to frequently with stuff like that, because you really see the mindset of some of the dregs of humanity at that point, who feel all the more free to reveal their idiocy under the cloak of anonymity that the internet provides.

The internet really can be a mixed blessing, can't it?

But some were a bit more interesting and thought-provoking, including the question of whether this is the way that history (and perhaps other subjects) might be taught more effectively to a younger generation that knows how to chat and IM, but perhaps are not as familiar with the more serious and disciplined scholarly work as past generations have been.

Indeed, though, maybe young people these days could gain a better understanding of history if dictators are turned into squabbling and jealous teenagers, constantly bickering with one another. Other than the teenager part, this was not actually far off from the truth, was it?

Again, I reiterate, this is something meant to be viewed as a joke, and not as an effort to belittle momentous events and tragedies. And, unfortunately, I think there is some currency to the notion that such a format would, indeed, help kids today understand events in the past, although more serious details and a deeper understanding would also be required, obviously.

For now, this is just a joke page, and should be viewed in this fashion. Take a look and see if you like it. I'll admit that it made me laugh!

What about you? How do you see this? Do you find it funny? Or maybe offensive? Perhaps neither, or perhaps a bit of both? I welcome any comments and/or questions, so please share your thoughts!