Text: Rage Against the Machine. Democratic Convention 2000.

Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band that is categorized as sitting on the left side of the political spectrum and is often critical of authoritarianism and of certain aspects of the U.S. government.

The concern in the video below was shot close to the setting of the Democratic National Convention and the band was critical of anti-democractic elements of the selection and election process.

There are numerous issues of credibility and power raised in the video:

  • The political message of the band and the power their music has
  • The actions of police during the concert and the power they have to shut the concert down
  • How much credibility the video has given that it was shot by the band and does not necessarily take a neutral stance on the events
  • How much credibility and power the group and the police have with different demographic and political groups
  • The credibility and power of the Democratic Party and the style of the Democratic convention