Facebook Quote by Martijn Benders
““If Lenin would have had facebook, there would never have been any Russian Revolution. He would have had five followers, a handful of friends, and he'd type frantically into his own bubble. If Hitler would have had facebook, we'd still be plagued by a constant stream of conspiracy sites. Damn, how lucky are we exactly that none of these geezers had facebook and meddled about with the world instead.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Stand-up comedy routine, 2015
Social media would have limited the reach of extremist ideas, reducing their impact on mass movements.
In simple terms: Facebook would have curbed revolutionary influence.
Key Takeaway
Consider how platforms shape political discourse.
Themes
politics
media
extremism
Mood
cynical
reflective
Type
satirical
political
When to use this quote
- activist organizing
- propaganda
- public opinion
- online echo chambers
Key Concepts
information diffusion
network effects
Questions to Reflect On
- How would different platforms change historical events?
- What responsibilities do users have?
A Different Perspective
Online platforms can also amplify misinformation, not just limit it.
![“In the appendix to my History of the Russian Revolution I give a detailed and documented study of the ideas of the Bolshevik party on the October revolution. This study, I hope, will make it impossible in the future to ascribe to [Vladimir] Lenin the theory of Socialism in a single country.” quote by Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/374/leon-trotsky-2558_appendix_in-the-appendix-to-my-history-of-the-rus_363447.jpg)
![“[Joseph] Stalin closes the exposition of these [Leon Trotsky] ideas with the words, "Such are in general the characteristic features of [Vladimir] Lenin's conception of the proletarian revolution."” quote by Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/240/leon-trotsky-2558_characteristics_joseph-stalin-closes-the-exposition-of-t_33931.jpg)
