L'Éliminateur: May 2022

Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine

Released: 1992-11-03

Zack De La Rocha - Vocals

Timmy C - Bass

Brad Wilk - Drums

Tom Morello - Guitars

Bombtrack

It's just another bombtrack

And suckas be thinking that they can fade this

But I'm gonna' drop it at a higher level

'Cause I'm inclined to stoop down

Hand out some beat-downs

Cold runna train on punk ho's that

Think they run the game

But I learned to burn that bridge and delete

Those who compete at a level that's obsolete

Instead I warm my hands on the flames of the flag

As I recall our downfall

And the business that burned us all

See through the news and views that twist reality

Enough

I call the bluff

Manifest destiny

Landlords and power whores

On my people they took turns

Dispute the suits I ignite

And then watch 'em burn

The thoughts of a militant mind

Hardline, hardline after hardline

Landlords and power whores

On my people they took turns

Dispute the suits I ignite

And then watch 'em burn

Burn, burn, yes ya' gonna' burn

Another funky radical bombtrack

Started as a sketch in my notebook

But now dope hooks make punks take another look

My thoughts ya hear and ya begin to fear

That ya card will get pulled if ya interfere

With the thoughts of a militant mind

Hardline, hardline after hardline

Landlords and power whores

On my people they took turns

Dispute the suits I ignite

And then watch 'em burn

Two things are set on fire on this attack: the flag, symbolizing either government, nationalism, or patriotism, and suits, symbolizing corporate interests. When combined to the use of "landlords and power whores", the direction of the aggression is made clearer as the culprits are identified to be holding positions of power. Listed as members of this same group are "punk ho's that think they run the game", which implies a contrast with other figures established as being in a position to dictate the fate of fellow citizens as there is a difference between the belief in possessing power and the ability to actually influence decisions on a national scale. The setting opposes policy makers, CEOs, landlords, power mongers (actual and wishful ones), portrayed as being recipients of the present attack, to Rage Against the Machine and those supporting their message.

The attitude adopted is one of proactive defiance from the onset with shots fired at more passive and complacent peers who may pretend to the same impact while their skill level is unacknowledged, just as the strength of their resolve. A polarization takes place with the proverbial burning of a bridge, distancing Mr. De La Rocha and the militancy of his mind from those whose feet may fit that shoe. The poker player, with enough confidence in the cards in hand making the decision to see things through and force other players to reveal theirs. The contrast between the two sides of the trench may reside in the obsolescence of the end results and the willingness to get one's hands dirty. The ineffective means and projected facades do not suffice to impact and change the situation in a relevant, constructive way. Instead, the objective is to instill fear of exposure in guilty parties if they should attempt to silence the broadcast. The effectiveness of the method is assessed as the suits and flags are described as being currently on fire. Initially a binary conflict, in appearance, of the haves against the have-nots, a more suitable categorization, however, might be a division between those who are part of the problem opposed to those who are part of the solution. A more nuanced world view would be one in which those occupying a position of power, the inactive ones who ignore the struggle, and those who take up arms, are sharing the battlefield. The world now divides into the Powerful, the people who will choose to go about their lives, and those who will choose to fight, as described by Subcomandante Marcos [32].

The blame for the "downfall" is partly placed on the government, whose decisions are at the source of the unrest expressed, through images of a burning flag and references to manifest destiny. One could argue that the blame is simultaneously placed on religion, by transitive property, through the reference to the ladder. An idea that does not sound too far-fetched, considering the affirmation made by the vocalist, years past, regarding spiritual surrenders. Alongside, sharing responsibility with the government, are corporations, as businesses are accused of hurting people in their pursuit of gain and manipulating coverage to distort their portrayal and, therefore, coercing the public into supporting their enterprises. The media are, henceforth, identified as either co-conspirators or accomplices in the mass rape of the population. The rationale behind the challenge being issued is expressed, half a decade later, in an interview given by Zack de la Rocha, as he states: "[w]e feel that any society, or any government, or any system that is setup solely to profit a wealthy class, while the majority of the people toil and suffer and sell their labor power... So long as that system's only true motive is profit, interest, and not the maintenance and embetterment of the population -to meet the human needs, than that society should not stand. It should be challenged and questioned and overthrown. And waking up to the long legacy of brutality in American history, and subjugating the world's population, has been something we wanted to challenge through music." [30] The direction in which the fingers are pointing is as clear as to whom the hand pointing them belongs.

The attack is reminiscent of guerilla warfare, as it is confessed that the tool used to generate the explosion has been meticulously prepared, line by line, in a notebook. The process could have taken place in locations as banal as the darkness of a lamplit bedroom or the midst of a crowd, on public transportation. Reflecting on their impact, Zack de la Rocha admits that he did not foresee the popularity and support Rage Against the Machine would gain and did not think their music and poetry would allow them to open dialogues about certain relevant issues in society [31]. What started as a few lines on a sheet of paper transformed into a shockwave that was felt all around the globe. The frequency of the exercise may be hinted at, as well, as the performance is announced as being "just another bombtrack" and "another funky radical bombtrack", which either implies a casual nature or a certain degree of humility from the performer. The use of the term "just" downplays the importance attributed to the action, whereas the use of the adjective "funky" confers festive attributes, shedding a light of celebration to what the opposite side may perceive as an aggression.

An emphasis is placed on the importance of ideas in effecting positive change, with allusions to the durable quality of "the thoughts of a militant mind" and the defection of a number of actors who once belonged to the opposite side of the conflict. The tactics relied upon mirror those of the enemy, as the modulation of the airwaves demonstrates a directed transformation of minds resulting in a change of stance, influencing the political balance.

Killing in the Name

Killing in the name of

Some of those that work forces

Are the same that burn crosses

Uh!

Killing in the name of

Now you do what they told ya

And now you do what they told ya

But now you do what they told ya

Well, now you do what they told ya

Those who died are justified

For wearing the badge, and they're the chosen whites

You justify those that died

By wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites

Some of those that work forces

Are the same that burn crosses

Uh!

Killing in the name of

Now you do what they told ya

And now you do what they told ya

(Now you're under control) And now you do what they told ya

Those who died are justified

For wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites

You justify those that died

By wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites

Come on!

Ugh!

Yeah!

Come on!

Ugh!

Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me

Motherfucker

Ugh!

November 12th 2021, BBC reports on their website the filing of a complaint by police officer Keith Pool against his superior, then-Sheffield Lake Police Chief Anthony Campo, for leaving a note on his desk saying "Ku Klux Klan" [1]. On September 13th, 2019, the New York Times published an article relating the termination of Michigan police officer Charles Anderson from the Muskegon Police Department after a "prospective homebuyer who had been touring the officer's house posted a picture on social media of a framed Ku Klux Klan application he had seen [at the officer's house]"[4]. The website of the Atlanta Police Department states that a "Klan-dominated police union" was abolished in 1947 [2]. The Breanna Center organization makes a reference to The Second Coming of the KKK: The Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s and the American Political Tradition, written by Linda Gordon, when stating that the spread of the Klan, in the 1920s, went all the way from local to federal levels of government [3]. And those are only from the first page of results when researching the connection between the white supremacy group and law enforcement. Even a lazy person does not have to dig deep to find examples documenting how long this has been happening for.

Compliance to corrupted authority figures equals to the support of their ideals, to an extent. By obeying the Law, one empowers the system that put it in place, because in order to maintain control, it has to keep it. However, pondering on the subject raises the question regarding an only partially corrupted system. Does the impact of a segregationist agenda furthered by a portion outweighs any positive the rest of the force could uphold? The suffering has to resonate louder than the well-being. The shield cannot be the justification for abuse. Power amplifies racist biases engrained within the individual and "just doing your job" does not excuse the imbalance preserved. Yet, even a hundred years of documenting, exposing and protesting did not eradicate the abuse from being perpetrated. The seeds of privilege are planted so early that they barely allow any relevant reform to settle. It is hard to accept the change takes time while people are struggling. Nothing more than a success rate of 100% will do.

A position of refusal to comply clearly stated, hammered, even, encouraging the audience to follow suit. Facing such an outspoken affirmation, those on the receiving end of the message are presented with the options of either rejection, indifference, or assimilation. The numbers populating each category being impossible to determine, statistically, the evaluation of the change effected by this Rage Against the Machine experience will have to rely on a personal perspective. Upon review, the result could be assessed as questionable, based on the frequency at which the citation has been heard emanating from one who could barely be judged to be in support of civil disobedience or protesting against systemic racism since 1992. The aggression in the tone has made it through the thickness of the majority, if not the totality of the skulls, but the proactive attitude encouraged might have only taken residence in the minds of a few.

Take the Power Back

In the right light, study becomes insight

But the system that dissed us

Teaches us to read and write

So-called facts are fraud

They want us to allege and pledge

And bow down to their God

Lost the culture, the culture lost

Spun our minds and through time

Ignorance has taken over

We gotta' take the power back

Bam, here's the plan

Mother fuck Uncle Sam

Step back, I know who I am

Raise up your ear, I'll drop the style and clear

It's the beats and lyrics they fear

The rage is relentless

We need a movement with a quickness

You are the witness of change

And to counteract

We gotta' take the power back

The present curriculum

I put my fist in 'em

Eurocentric every last one of 'em

See right through the red, white and blue disguise

With lecture, I puncture the structure of lies

Installed in our minds and attempting

To hold us back

We've got to take the power back

'Cause holes in our spirit are causin' tears and fears

One-sided stories for years and years and years

I'm inferior? Who's inferior?

Yea', we needs check the interior

Of the system who cares about only one culture

And that is why

We gotta' take the power back

The teacher stands in front of the class

But the lesson plan he can't recall

The students' eyes don't perceive the lies

Bouncing off every fucking wall

His composure is well kept

I guess he fears playing the fool

The complacent students sit and listen to the

Bullshit that he learned in school

Europe ain't my rope to swing on

Can't learn a thing from it

Yet we hang from it

Gotta' get it, gotta' get it together then

Like the mother fuckin' weathermen

To expose and close the doors on those who try

To strangle and mangle the truth

'Cause the circle of hatred continues unless we react

We gotta' take the power back

No more lies

After denouncing the oppression of government, corporations, and law enforcement agencies, the spotlight is placed on the education system and the Eurocentric curriculum. Although the benefits of studying, whether it be through public or private sources, are presented as being of crucial significance in the shaping of minds, the process recommends a special attention be paid to the angle of the information provided, keeping in mind there are more than one side to any story. Questioning the interests and motivations of the hand that feeds. Under the guise of the gift of knowledge and illumination, a biased system may gaslight its history, for example, and celebrate the gains while sweeping the path of suffering it left in its wake under the rug. The earlier reference to Manifest Destiny fresh in mind, one may reflect upon America's westward expansion and the way in which the Doctrine of Discovery is presented in class, as teachers explain to their students that when "Euro-Americans planted flags and religious symbols in newly-discovered lands, they were not just thanking god for a safe voyage across the ocean; instead, they were undertaking the well-recognized legal procedures and rituals of the Doctrine designed to make their country's legal claim to the lands and peoples" [5]. The construction of a flawed foundation for generation upon generation who will not know any better and who will go out into the world with beliefs and opinions based on incomplete pictures.

Access to education, depending on the institution, may also imply different degrees of exposure to religion. In the case of Lee v. Weisman, for example, the US Supreme Court decided, in 1992, against Principal Robert E. Lee for inviting "Rabbi Leslie Gutterman to deliver a nonsectarian invocation and benediction at a middle school graduation ceremony in Providence, Rhode Island" [6]. On September 2nd, 2000, the CBS News website were reporting about the "No Pray, No Play" group, in Texas, insisting that a prayer should be allowed just after the national anthem at a high school football game [7]. The separation of Church and State appears to still be a constant battle, as individual beliefs are sporadically invited in.

The portrayal of teachers is qualified as mindless or coerced, as it is suggested that the temptation of dissent may be blocked by fear instilled by the upper echelon. Teachers wishing to maintain employment are discouraged from diverging from the adopted curriculum under threat of termination, as exemplified in LeVake v. Independent School (2001), a case involving a teacher who has been reassigned to another subject after it was determined that he "would not teach the required course curriculum in the manner established by the school board" [8]. The point is not to protest for complete and unequivocal leeway for teachers in the way they teach in their classroom, as an infinite number of questionable theories could find their way to the students' brains, but rather to draw attention to the puppeteer and the consequences of not abiding by their terms and interests.

Take the Power Back is proposed as a counterweight opposing these biases of the education system. The music is imaged as a weapon, as the message is delivered to the population, challenging the projected superiority attempting at the creation and maintenance of a social and racial hierarchy. An alternative to the narrative assimilated by teachers and regurgitated on powerless students who are, therefore, denied access to unfiltered information to be used in the development of the tools and aptitudes they will be expected to apply in their contribution to the world. Metaphorically, it could be compared to the role played by independent media in the presentation of world events that do not make it to the history books and classrooms.

A reference to the Weather Underground Organization, or the Weathermen, is slipped in through a metaphor, setting the organisational skills of the offshoot of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), a group that formed out of the anti-Vietnam war movement, on a pedestal as the measuring stick for political protest endeavors. The name of this particular group was allegedly derived from the Subterranean Homesick Blues song by Bob Dylan [34], as the lyrics advises one does "not need a weather man to know which way the wind blows" [35] next to the comprehensive (sarcastic) guide on how to be a model citizen. The inspiration drawn from the folk singer by Rage Against the Machine can also be observed in a more direct way, as a cover of Maggie's Farm appears on the Renegades album. Regarding the attitudes and methods, the WUO group adopted a violent stance, advocating fighting in the streets in order to advance the cause of communism [36]. According to the FBI website, they bombed sites such as the US Capitol and the Pentagon, and eluded capture for approximately half a decade using assumed identities [34]. A feat of resourcefulness and planning, in and of itself. A closer link between Weather Underground and the academic sphere can be established, as the Britannica website states the group "launched an offensive during the summer of 1969. In one action in the Northeast, it tried to recruit members at community colleges and high schools by marching into classrooms, tying up and gagging teachers, and presenting revolutionary speeches. at the Harvard Institute for International Affairs, the group smashed windows, tore out phones, and beat professors." [36] One could imagine these actions being part of a reclaiming of the power. In contrast to the praise of the WUO's organizational skills by Rage Against the Machine, however, Fred Hampton, head to the Chicago branch of the Black Panthers disapproved of the childish tactics employed by the group at the onset of the Days of Rage protests [37]. A difference in perspective resting on the difference between aggressive, physical means and more passive protest. One will not fail to notice the use of the word "rage" in the name chosen for the event being referred to and draw a parallel with the one of the band discussed here, highlighting a possible inspiration reaching further than one line of lyrics. Additional support for the demonstration of the extent at which the band was inspired by Weather Underground can be found in the protests they organized at the onset of the Chicago 8 trial, on October 1969, a group appearing before a judge for inciting "riots at the August 1968 Democratic National Convention" [38], an action not unfamiliar to the band [39]. Scratching the surface of what was seemingly a simple metaphor revealed an intricate web of potential influences behind Rage Against the Machine.

Settle for Nothing

A jail cell is freedom from the pain in my home

Hatred passed on, passed on and passed on

A world of violent rage

But it's one that I can recognize

Having never seen the color of my father's eyes

Yes, I dwell in hell but it's a hell that I can grip

I tried to grip my family

But I slipped

To escape from the pain and an existence mundane

I gotta' 9, a sign, a set and now I gotta' name

Read my writing on the wall

No one's here to catch me when I fall

But death is on my side

Suicide

A jail cell is freedom from the pain in my home

Hatred passed on, passed on and passed on

A world of violent rage

But it's one that I can recognize

Having never seen the color of my father's eyes

Yes, I dwell in hell but it's a hell that I can grip

I tried to grip my family

But I slipped

To escape from the pain and an existence mundane

I gotta' 9, a sign, a set and now I gotta' name

Read my writing on the wall

No one's here to catch me when I fall

Caught between my culture and the system

Genocide

Read my writing on the wall

No one's here to catch me when I fall

If ignorance is bliss

Then knock the smile off my face

If we don't take action now

We settle for nothing later

We'll settle for nothing now

And we'll settle for nothing later

Demonstrating that an element is a product of its environment implies an analysis of parameters such as free will. In order to determine that one state is directly related to another, the agency of the actor has to be assessed. For example, if determinism is true, actors could not find themselves in another state than the one they are currently in because of their inability to be otherwise. In other words, it could be argued that the statement "it's not his fault because he didn't know any better" is an image of determinism because the condition of the person is not the result of a choice, but rather the result of pressure and imposed conditions. The conjunction of parameters such as culture, the education system, cultivated values and principles, role models, the temperature, even, once qualified, culminate in the given individual being in the given situation at the given point in time. Venturing out of the beaten path may cause stress and anxiety because of the implied uncertainties and, therefore, appear as the wrong choice to make for the individual. The rationale of the hell that one "can grip", through its familiarity, becomes a more logical choice than going against the grain.

The omnipresent violent rage of the world, children growing up without their parents, the mundane connotation attributed to routine, the cultivation of hatred, the hardships involved with raising a family are all elements that constitute a culture by the quantity of their occurrences in an environment. They are experiences that shape individuals as well as points of references that are involved in their decision-making process. In order to obtain protection from the violence of the world, people may turn to gangs, as the idea that there is safety in numbers has been turned into a popular expression. As a substitute for the absent parents, gang leaders may appear as surrogates, while brotherhood/sisterhood may replace the love that could have been provided at home. Hatred may act as a catalyst in territorial disputes. Gang culture, therefore, presents itself as a potentially beneficial avenue for those evolving in these circumstances. Increasing the number of individuals in this matrix will result in a vicious cycle of impressive proportions as well as a relative general safety that cannot be taken for granted.

Researching Stanley "Tookie" Williams' biography indicates that he "did not attend school and instead engaged in petty theft and occasional robbery" [9]. It could be argued that had he not spent as much time in the streets, he might not have participated in events that would prove to be fundamental in the creation of one of the largest gang of criminals known today. A facilitated access to education could offer itself as a more positive avenue, or at least, as another potential avenue for people who might otherwise pursue an involvement in gangs. Following Take the Power Back's critical look at the school system, however, it raises an interrogation as to the outcome of directing more individuals towards a biased education. The dismantling of gang culture may be achieved by the removal of its glorifying elements. This could be the action that need to be taken today, in order to not perpetuate the cycle, which would imply it was our inaction that allowed the situation to persist. Pondering on the "violent rage" of the world, however, highlights a contradiction in an earlier statement, as rage was part of the method of delivery for the band's lyrics in Take the Power Back. Adding more rage to the world, in this perspective, could be interpreted as either fighting fire with fire or hypocrisy in blaming one for doing something while doing the exact same thing, yourself. A nuance may reside in the achievement of an objective more positive than a contribution to something that damages communities. As the connotation associated to routine may be related to a question of perspective, a change in circumstances such as the quality of life may result in a different outlook. In support of this idea, Sampson et al., in their 1997 study published under the title Neighborhoods and Violent Crime: A Multilevel Study of Collective Efficacy, indicate that violence "has been associated with the low socioeconomic status (SES) and residential instability of neighborhoods" [14]. Regarding the absent parents, it is possible that the reduction of gang violence would increase the number of parents alive, if not necessarily at home, providing the emotional nourishment required during childhood.

Bullet in the Head

This time the bullet cold rocked ya

A yellow ribbon instead of a swastika

Nothin' proper about ya propaganda

Fools follow rules when the set commands ya

They said it was blue

When the blood was red

That's how you got a bullet blasted through ya head

Blasted through ya head

I give a shout out to the living dead

Who stood and watched as the feds cold centralized

So serene on the screen

You was mesmerized

Cellular phones soundin' a death tone

Corporation cold

Turn ya to stone before ya realize

They load the clip in omnicolor

They pack the 9, they fire it at prime time

Sleeping gas, every home was like Alcatraz

And mutha fuckas lost their minds

Just victims of the in-house drive-by

They say jump you say how high

They load the clip in omnicolor

They pack the 9, they fire it at prime time

Sleeping gas, every home was like Alcatraz

And mutha fuckas lost their minds

No escape from the mass mind rape

Play it again jack and then rewind the tape

Play it again and again and again

Until ya mind is locked in

Believin' all the lies that they're tellin' ya

Buying all the products that they're selling ya

They say jump

Ya say how high

Ya brain dead

Ya gotta fuckin' bullet in ya head

Just victims of the in-house drive-by

They say jump, you say how high

Ya standin' in line

Believin' the lies

Ya bowin' down to the flag

Ya gotta bullet in ya head

The idea that the display of a yellow ribbon would generate sufficient interest and puzzlement in people to generate a "blizzard of questions" [10], as was the case at the beginning of the 1980's and 1990's, appears to contradict the point made by Bullet in the Head about the mindlessness of the masses developed through overexposure to television coverage. The level of curiosity and investment behind the effort of writing a letter to obtain an answer to a question could hardly be equaled to the lazy connotation attributed to "the living dead". In addition, this was a time when every encyclopedia was not at the end of everyone's fingers. Yet, the comparison of the yellow ribbon symbol associated with either the support of troops during the Persian Gulf War (1990-91) or the Iran Hostage Crisis (1979-81), in the United States, with the symbol used by Nazis in the second World War, has one reflect on the methods relied upon in order to generate popular support for a nation's wars.

According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, in 1933, in Germany, the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (RMVP) was created as a means of controlling aspects of culture such as "films, theater, music, the press, and radio broadcasts" [11]. Saturating the airwaves and print materials produced with their antisemitic ideas provided a mobilization of public support allowing them to further their agenda. In their 1994 article The Media and the Gulf War: Framing, Priming, and the Spiral of Silence, Allen et al., supported by poll data, establish the manipulation of public perception of the Persian Gulf War that took place through false news accounts reporting growth in consensus for the government's actions [12]. Public opinion, through gaslighted coverage ignoring the mobilization taking place on the opposite side of the question, allowed the population to believe in a general consent to the war. The drawing of a parallel between both governments is allowed on the grounds of the tactics they shared. In such contexts, the importance of reading between the lines becomes crucial in order to escape the intended brainwashing. Bullet in the Head is "about being an individual... About searching and finding new information and using your strength as an individual to attack systems like America who continue to rob and rape and murder people in the name of freedom." [31]

The reach of the perpetrators now extends to every household with a television set or everyone with a cellular phone. When combined to the broadcasting of distorted truths, the notion of "prime time" emphasises the malicious intent, as it demonstrates that the habits of consumption have been studied to indicate the exact moments at which the message should be released to optimize results. The "omnicolor" quality is used as an incentive in the sale of television sets, making the assimilation of subliminal notions more palatable. As consumers are "standin' in line" at stores on Black Friday to benefit from the offered discounts, more and more doors to American homes are opened, welcoming in agents that may not have their best interests at heart, setting themselves up for their own "in-house drive-by". Precisions as to the intent of the media giants is detailed in the Interview with Marcos video made available on Rage Against the Machine's Youtube channel in 2019, in which Subcomandante Marcos describes their efforts to present the world in a way that will benefit the process of globalization. [32] According to him, a bigger share of the airtime focuses on the lifestyles of celebrities than on the realities of regular people. Unless they make up their own minds through their own research for alternative news outlets, people assimilate the views presented at primetime because they are the material made readily available to them. More time is spent evolving in a fabricated reality than in the actual one taking place outside of the limits of the plastic frames.

The use of the blood color as a means to support the idea that any concept could be implanted in the minds of the population may hide another layer, when considering the term "blue blood", which has been used in reference to people of royal or noble descent [13]. In its literal interpretation, "they said it was blue / when the blood was red / that's how you got a bullet blasted through ya head" could mean that the assimilation of a false depiction of the color of blood is a form of compliance to those in control of the media, consciously or unconsciously "bowin' down to the flag". It may also mean that titles are a facade projected by people to place themselves on a pedestal, above the rest of the world. In this perspective, claiming your blood is different than the one of others is a false statement, as any wound deep enough to draw blood would prove. Although a bullet in the head may not always result in death, it is nonetheless an experience likely to hinder one's progress, at least momentarily. Hence, the judgement of diminished faculties is directed towards those who believe in the lies and illusions of status.

Know your Enemy

Born with insight and a raised fist

A witness to the slit wrist

As we move into '92

Still in a room without a view

Ya got to know

That when I say go, go, go

Amp up and amplify

Defy

I'm a brother with a furious mind

Action must be taken

We don't need the key

We'll break in

Something must be done

About vengeance, a badge and a gun

'Cause I'll rip the mic, rip the stage, rip the system

I was born to rage against 'em

Fist in ya face, in the place

And I'll drop the style clearly

Know your enemy

Word is born

Fight the war, fuck the norm

Now I got no patience

So sick of complacence

With the D E F I A N C E

The mind of a revolutionary

So clear the lane

The finger to the land of chains

What? The land of the free?

Whoever told you that is your enemy

Something must be done

About vengeance, a badge and a gun

'Cause I'll rip the mic, rip the stage, rip the system

I was born to rage against 'em

Now action must be taken

We don't need the key

We'll break in

I've got no patience now

So sick of complacence now

Sick of sick of sick of sick of sick of you

Time has come to pay

Yes I know my enemies

They're the teachers who taught me to fight me

Compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission

Ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality, the elite

All of which are the American Dream

The polarizing identification of law enforcement as the enemy of liberty. A police force maintaining population control on behalf of the elite, as the enumeration of the terms "compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission, ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality", camouflaged as "the American Dream", draw attention to the topic of police brutality. This enumeration may be divided into two parts. The first part regrouping the terms "compromise", "conformity", "assimilation", and "submission". It could be argued that they characterize a group formed of citizens, as they are the ones likely to be forced into these positions. The "Stop and Frisk" policy, for example, is one of the crime-fighting strategies adopted by police departments (notably the New York Police Department, in the 1990's), and it involves the "aggressive stops and searches of pedestrians for a wide range of crimes" [16]. Although a decrease in crime has been observed as a result of this policy, and even if the existence of race biases in police officers' markers for suspicion could be disproven, a climate of oppression may find itself among its direct results on society. Experiences of being stopped and controlled while walking to work, early in the morning, may give one the impression that these suspicion markers that police base their judgement on include appearance, location, and time. Being stopped on the street because of baggy clothes, in an urban neighborhood with a higher crime rate, at a time when people with regular 9 to 5 positions are still asleep can be interpreted in a number of ways. Understandably, common sense would suggest looking for crime in a place where crime is known to occur is optimal. However, aggravation may rise in the percentage that are controlled while having irreproachable behavior and have them question the expression "land of the free". Accepting that interrogation and detention on the basis of appearance is justified may be the form of compromise in question in the enumeration of labels here associated with the American Dream. If cases of police misconduct were few and far between, would there be need for funding of "$445,000,000 to the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice for each fiscal years 2020 through 2029, of which not less than $100,000,000 shall be made available each fiscal year for investigations conducted under section 210401 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994"? [17] Regarding the other three terms of the enumeration that could be qualifying the general population, one could make the argument that the terms "conformity", "assimilation", and "submission" are the result of an incapacity to have the perpetrators of police brutality held accountable and prosecuted for their actions. As Miller indicates, an explanation for the lack of success in obtaining a conviction against a police officer in cases of police brutality may reside in the lack of credibility on the part of the defenders because of their socioeconomic status or criminal antecedents or the idea that the only witnesses that could testify in court are other members of the police department [18]. The compliance demonstrated by people may have been imposed by failures of the justice system. In this perspective, the terms "ignorance", "hypocrisy", and "brutality" could be characterizing the side of the Law and could be interpreted as the means through which this balance in power is maintained. Ignoring the misconduct and the shortcomings of the system that limit the ability to have officers accused of police brutality prosecuted appropriately are both factors that allow the abuse to go on, providing the elite with a protection for their interests.

Further support to the idea that law enforcement agencies may rely on methods that could be evaluated as overzealous can be found in a Federal Bureau of Investigation memo dating back to 1968, in which they describe how the Philadelphia Police Department, during the summer of 1967, proceeded to arrest leaders of a Chinese communist group "on every possible charge until they could no longer make bail. As a result [blanked] leaders spent most of the summer in jail and no violence traceable to [blanked] took place." [33] Establishing a correlation between the arrest and long-term detention of people determined as likely to commit a crime or engage in damaging activities toward society and an absence of crime should be hard to establish on the basis of the difficulty involved in demonstrating a hundred percent probability such events would have indeed occurred. If the entire world population were put in jail, would the absence of crime outside of jails be celebrated? As far as the world knows, a profiling algorithm allowing the prediction of future crime with no chance of failure has yet to see the light of day. Instead, these assessments were based on the agents' off the record evaluation and criteria, with a minimum amount of background information on the subjects. This was the aim of the FBI's Counterintelligence program. Furthermore, combined to the detention of potentially disruptive individuals under the largest possible succession of charges, agents were encouraged to attack their reputation in a manner that would generate scorn from a community that might have felt sympathy towards them, otherwise [33]. With friends like these... The program's potential for embarrassment was anticipated from as early as its onset.

The association of the idea of being in "a room without a view", not needing a key, and the intent to "break in", next to the idea of the American Dream, could refer to the access to property and how the process has been segregated in the US. Homeownership, as part of the image of success attributed to achieving the American Dream, is usually facilitated by government programs of "tax deductions for mortgage interest and property taxes which supply financial incentives to owning one's home" [15], amongst other things. Other programs, such as the Federal Housing Administration insuring mortgages, and the Home Affordable Modification Program helping those who qualified in avoiding foreclosure until it expired in 2016, were other means contributing to a facilitated access to property. Owning a home is a way of creating generational wealth and an alternative to enriching landlords. However, the segregation of these programs limits access to ownership, wealth, and status to a portion of the population. Meghan Kuebler, in her study of the inequalities of homeownership, draws support from Ross and Turner (2005) and Marsh and Iceland (2010), to state that "discriminatory practices have shifted away from overt discrimination such as denial of home loan applications and explicit racism and towards discriminatory financing such as subprime loans that applicants could not afford to repay, added hidden fees, unequal access to home financing, and racialized steering practices" [15]. The expressed impatience in Know your Enemy suggests measures should be taken to grant everyone an equal chance of access to property.

Wake Up

Although ya try to discredit

Ya still never edit

The needle, I'll thread it

Radically poetic

Standin' with the fury that they had in '66

And like E-Double, I'm mad

Still knee-deep in the system's shit

Hoover, he was a body remover

I'll give ya a dose

But it'll never come close

To the rage built up inside of me

Fist in the air, in the land of hypocrisy

Movements come and movements go

Leaders speak, movements cease

When their heads are flown

'Cause all these punks

Got bullets in their heads

Departments of police, the judges, the feds

Networks at work, keepin' people calm

You know they went after King

When he spoke out on Vietnam

He turned the power to the have-nots

And then came the shot

Wit' poetry, my mind I flex

Flip like Wilson, vocals never lackin' dat finesse

Whadda I have to do to wake ya up

To shake ya up, to break the structure up

'Cause this blood still flows in the gutter

I'm like takin' photos

Mad boy kicks open the shutter

Set the groove

Then I stick and move like I was Cassius

Rep the stutter step

Then bomb a left upon the fascists

Yea, the several federal men

Who pulled schemes on the dream

And put it to an end

Ya betta beware

Of retribution with mind war

20/20 visions and murals with metaphors

The networks at work, keepin' people calm

Ya know they murdered X

And tried to blame it on Islam

He turned the power to the have-nots

And then came the shot

What was the price on his head

I think I heard a shot

'He may be a real contender for this position

Should he abandon his supposed obedience to white liberal doctrine of non-violence...

and embrace black nationalism'

'Through counter-intelligence it should be possible to pinpoint potential trouble-makers...

And neutralize them'

How long? Not long, 'cause what you reap is what you sow

Linking the speaking out on Vietnam to the year 1966 of the history of the United States directs attention to the March 26th, 1966, anti-Vietnam war protests taking place in over a hundred cities across the nation, attracting over 100,000 people [19]. Connecting fury with political protest hardly requires an active imagination. Connect fury and 1966 allows one to read the rest of this article with Joe Clements' voice. However, hints of the tarnishing of one's reputation, the year 1966, J. Edgar Hoover, a reference to movements, a federal law enforcement agency, Martin Luther King Jr. (his dream and his assassination), surveillance, Malcolm X and his murder, suggests as more likely that the fury of 1966 may be a reference to the October 15th, 1966 founding of the Black Panthers Party, its repression through the FBI's COINTELPRO operation [20], and the Civil Rights Movement. This is confirmed as Wake Up ends with a citation from a FBI memo dating from 1968 calling for actions to neutralize the rise in black nationalism across the nation [33].

"Movements come and movements go / Leaders speak, movements cease / When their heads are flown / 'Cause all these punks / Got bullets in their heads / Departments of police, the judges, the feds / Networks at work, keepin' people calm" describes how disposing of dissident voices help governments maintain peace across "the land of hypocrisy". United States congressman Bobby L. Rush describes the Black Panther Party mission as speaking "immediately and directly to the needs of Black communities that had been neglected by the government, victimized by brutal policing, and suppressed by discrimination" [21]. Recounting his experience as a party member, he also describes the effects of the COINTELPRO operation on the party as such: "[t]here was no tactic, no strategy, and no lie that was beneath COINTELPRO. FBI informants were everywhere, recording our meetings and posing as rival street organizations in fake letters they authored to foment animosity, incite violence, and provoke mayhem and murder between us." [21] The extent of the oppression related is supported by the apology issued by the FBI director, Clarence M. Kelley, for their abuse of power [23]. Claims that the government is behind the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X echo the murder of Black Panther Party deputy chairman Fred Hampton, during the December 4th, 1969 raid by "plainclothes Chicago Police officers" under orders from Cook County state's attorney Edward Hanrahan [22]. The blood that "still flows in the gutter" is the one of those people murdered in the streets. The theories about the involvement of the federal agency in the Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination find their source in the wiretapping and the threatening letter they admitted sending to him [25]. In addition to these sources, a New York Times article published on May 8th, 2022 reports of a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Activities staff report detailing COINTELPRO's contribution to the rising tensions resulting in at least four party members' death [24]. The object of Wake Up could therefore be an information campaign seeking to educate the audience to the costs involved in the process of "keepin' people calm".

Relying on previous lessons, the sedated state of the masses is once again referred to, as they are kept calm by the lies spread and enforced by figures of authority. Recurrent themes allow for a reinvestment of knowledge. Weaved into the image are references to a number of public personalities. The first of them would be Erick Sermon, or E-Double, and EPMD's I'm Mad, which appeared on the Business as Usual album. The second of these references would be Flip Wilson, the comedian, and the slickness of his delivery. The third one would be Cassius Clay, also known as Mohamed Ali, and his impeccable athletic abilities. The positive attributes used to qualify these personalities are in contrast with the manner in which Martin Luther King Jr and Malcom X are told to have been perceived by the authorities. The object of this process provides an input that establishes, through superior numerical advantage, a positive image of a community that leaders have attempted at demonizing.

Fistful of Steel

Silence

Something about silence makes me sick

'Cause silence can be violent

Sorta like a slit wrist

If the vibe was suicide

Then you would push da button

But if ya bowin' down

Then let me do the cuttin'

Some speak the sounds

But speak in silent voices

Like radio is silent

Though it fills the air with noises

Its transmission bring submission

As ya mold to the unreal

Mad boy grips the microphone

Wit' a fistful of steel

Fistful of steel

Yes, it's time to flow like the fluid in ya veins

If ya will it, I will spill it

And ya out just as quick as ya came

Not a silent one

But a defiant one

Never a normal one

'Cause I'm the bastard son

With the visions of the move

Vocals not to soothe

But to ignite and put in flight

My sense of militance

Groovin', playin' this game called survival

Status the elite, the enemy, the rival

The silent sheep slippin', riffin', trippin'

Give ya a glimpse of the reality I'm grippin'

Steppin' into the jam and I'm slammin' like Shaquille

Mad boy grips the microphone

Wit' a fistful of steel

A .44 full of bullets

Face full of pale

Eyes full of empty

A stare full of nails

The roulette ball rolls alone on the wheel

A mind full of fire

And a fistful of steel

If the vibe was suicide

Then you would push da button

But if ya bowin' down

Then let me do the cuttin'

Equating silence with the violence of suicide could refer to people making the decision to end their lives after suffering and being unable to confide in anyone. It could also imply that not voicing disagreement allows the abusers all the liberty they could possibly wish for to continue to perpetuate their crimes and impose their wills upon their victims. The proposal of Fistful of Steel is, therefore, that Zack de la Rocha be the spokesperson of those unable to protest, armed with a microphone, as he states "if ya bowin' down / Then let me do the cuttin'." In other words, if one chooses to not participate, he demands that they do not hinder his progress, which is also portrayed as an act of gambling in a game of roulette. If one is hurt, he asks for permission to take their defense upon himself. The airs are filled with more than one message, however, as others "speak the sounds / but speak in silent voices / Like radio is silent / Though it fills the air with noises / Its transmission brings submission / As ya mold to the unreal". The contradictions between the transmitted messages generate static. The power of subversion of the format, both direct and subliminal, is once again recognized, redundantly bringing to mind prior references to tools of propaganda. An example of state interference in music would be the one of Guinean government sponsoring artists who praised government campaigns, "the national airlines, the national fruit juice distributor, the army, the party, and the president's wife" [26]. Music of those sponsored artists turns into a paid commercial creating division among the audience. The number of stations and airtime being a finite number, adding more of the artists on the payroll in the rotations dilutes the impact of the artists attempting at dissension. Diluting the product dulls the blade and prevents the disruptive message finds a home in the minds of the public.

In contrast, the music of Rage Against the Machine seeks to "seduce some people in with the music who, then, are exposed to a different political message." [31] An optimistic confidence in the purpose of the band, hopeful that upon reception at least a portion of the audience will "ignite and put in flight". Challenging "the elite" is a matter of survival. The microphone is compared to a loaded gun, making the lyrics into the bullets. In this perspective, in order to effect a shift in the balance of power, the message would have to reach as many receptive people as possible in an attempt to obtain a numeric advantage. The more people, the better the chances of success. A parallel could be drawn between reaching popular status, not to say becoming mainstream, and achieving the objective set.

Township Rebellion

Rebel, rebel and yell

'Cause our people still dwell in hell

Locked in a cell

Yes, the structure's a cell

Mad is the story I tell

How long can we wait

Come on, seein' what's at stake

Action for reaction

If your mind's in a somewhat complacent state

Get a check-up

This is a stick up

Our freedom or your life

I wish I could be peaceful

But there can be no sequel

Now freedom must be fundamental

In Johannesburg or South Central

On the mic, 'cause someone should tell 'em

To kick in the township rebellion

Yea', what about that sucka'

Yea', so you thought you could get with the hardlines

That fill your mind

The thoughts, battles fought

And lessons taught

And I'll display the fitness

And flip like a gymnast

Raise my fist and resist

Asleep, though we stand in the midst

Of the war

Gotta' get mine

Gotta' get more

Keepin' the mic warm against the norm

'Cause what does it offer me

I think often it's nothin' but a coffin

Gotta' get wreck

'Til our necks never swing on a rope

From here to the cape of no hope

Why stand

On a silent platform

Fight the war

Fuck the norm

What's it gonna' take?

Shackle their minds when they're bent on the cross

When ignorance reigns, life is lost

Shackle our minds when we're bent on the cross

When ignorance reigns, life is lost

Shackle your minds and you're left on the cross

When ignorance reigns, life is lost

The image of the cell, combined to the reference to Johannesburg, points towards Apartheid. Lindsay Brenner describes apartheid cities as "an extreme form of this colonial rationality. Not only the native, but every sub category of native was relegated to a specific zone of the city, circumscribed with barbed wire fences and check points, and presided over by barracks and police stations. Living in a permanent state of siege, his/her movements were policed and he/she was subjected to the daily violence, terror and humiliation of inspection and identity verification." [27] The depiction is reminiscent of life in a penitentiary, complete with the cell blocks, barbed wire fences, and guard stations. As the theoretical function of correctional facilities is the reform of individuals that broke society's laws, the question arising from the comparison of apartheid cities to prison cells is the assessment of the intended reform attempted by the abusers. The justification for this imprisonment could hardly be defendable. The parallel between Johannesburg and South Central may reside in the police brutality demonstrated in both places. An example of such an occurrence in South Africa may be when the "police opened fire on unarmed black protesters in the town of Sharpeville in 1960, killing 69 people and wounding 186 others." [28] As for an American example of police brutality, one does not have to look that much further than Rodney King. The point is not to compare the events in both examples, but rather merely provide examples of police brutality in the places being compared. The parallel drawn also extends to the daily violence, humiliation, inspection and identity verification, which also applies to North America when considering policies of law enforcement mentioned earlier.

The tone used in the transmission is increased by a notch, as a sense of urgency transpires in the statement "this is a stick up / Our freedom or your life". The intent becomes less informative and more similar to an ultimatum. A demand for rebellion with no promise the process will be peaceful and an insurance there will be no rest until "our necks never swing on a rope". No positive resolution can be reached through wishing for change, the conflict appears inevitable. The motif of hopelessness, inciting individuals to take the matter into their own hands, materializes in the renaming of the Cape of Good Hope into Cape of No Hope.

Freedom

Solo, I'm a soloist on a solo list

All live, never on a floppy disk

Inka, inka, bottle of ink

Paintings of rebellion

Drawn up by the thoughts I think

It's set up like a deck of cards

They're sending us to early graves

For all the diamonds

They'll use a pair of clubs to beat the spades

With poetry I paint the pictures that hit

More like the murals that fit

Don't turn away

Get in front of it

Brotha did ya forget ya name

Did ya lose it on the wall

Playin' tic-tac-toe

Yo, check the diagonal

Three brothers gone

Come on

Doesn't that make it three in a row

Anger is a gift

Yo, check the diagonal

Three million gone

Come on

'Cause ya know they're counting backwards to zero

Environment

The environment exceeding on the level

Of our unconsciousness

For example

What does the billboard say

Come and play, come and play

Forget about the movement

Anger is a gift

Freedom, freedom, yea right

As a culminating point of the whole effort comes Freedom. Playful and childish, in appearance, with references to floppy disks on which computer games used to be stored, the Inka Binka counting-out rhyme relied upon in the formation of teams, a deck of cards, and Tic-Tac-Toe. In a similar way, the allusion to "three in a row" brings the game of baseball to mind, as a team's half-inning concludes after three outs and a batter's turn concludes after three strikes. Even billboards invite people to "come and play". However, these images hide graver implications, under the surface. Half of the suits in the deck of cards are symbolized as greed and brutality. At first glance, diamonds, clubs, and spades conjured the idea of conflict diamonds with clubs being used as weapons, threatening workers digging for diamonds with spades. The lack of further support, however, disproves the hypothesis. The Tic-Tac-Toe boards also transform into obituaries, keeping the score of disappearing family members.

The adverse effects of the environment on the collective consciousness suggests that games provide distraction for the population. While they are distracted, they do not ponder on the question of their freedom. Panem et circenses. Although it could be seen as the entertainment is provided as a sedative to a population content with an atrophied state, the situation could be interpreted in a different way. One in which the purveyors are making concessions by ensuring the availability of an abundance of experiences that will monopolize the spare time of a population out of fear from rebellion. This idea is reverberated in a statement made by Zack de la Rocha in a 1997 interview, on the irony of the image used on the cover of Rage Against the Machine's next album, Evil Empire, as the child's smile projects images of both control and fear, simultaneously [30]. For the powers that be, it represents a temporary fix enabling the extension of their reign. It is postponing the incoming attempt at reversing the tables. Encouraging measures to commerce and industry galvanizes the proverbial peace and status quo while social unrest is kept far from sight as people "forget about the movement" and the gift of anger. Such concessions can be compared to the strategy of appeasement, which involves the acceptation of a certain cost in order to preserve order [29]. In other words, instead of demonstrating firm resolve and engaging in direct conflict, investing in entertainment, for example, may avoid having to handle a rebellion. In the context of Freedom, the effects of appeasement are subliminal, as the exchange is made unconsciously. In order for their strategy to work, the emphasis has to be placed on the rewards of consumption, dimming the idea that while they are engaging in their activities, other people are struggling and could benefit from their help. The energy cost of compliance is less than the one of resistance.

As every topic touched is still relevant, more than thirty years later, the Rage Against the Machine self-titled album proves to be timeless. For every single topic covered, upon quick research, one can easily find recent cases and developments demonstrating that the issues still affect and afflict the world today. Governments are still passing laws and negotiating treaties that place the interests of corporations over those of the world populations. The stage has even moved on from national to global, and corporations have gained access to natural resources and physical labor at a discount price while wages do not always guarantee survival. Recent sightings of the shadow of an infamous white supremacy group in the law enforcement community are still reported, demonstrating the extensive contamination of the system, multiplying abuses, and driving a wedge of disadvantage through the population. New perspectives on our own history continue to make their way to the mainstream outlets and social media, shedding light on the foundations of the society in which we live. Those paying attention become aware that things did not necessarily happen the way they had been described and the higher education does not guarantee universal truth. People with an ounce of empathy struggle to comprehend and figure out how the cycle can be broken. Gang culture still makes the news and the glorification of gang culture is still heard in music and seen in popular series, providing easy access to such role models for whoever may be sitting on the couch of wearing the pods. The coining of terms such as "fake news" polarizes debates and if people are not encouraged to storm the Capitol, they are not exactly dissuaded, either. Racial profiling causes people to get shot for walking in parks at night and laws such as the Stand-your-ground law provide grey areas in which individuals may avoid prosecution. Through the Freedom of Information Act and the release of previously withheld documents, the involvement of members of government is progressively revealed to the public as years go by, making conspiracy theories a dynamic, burgeoning phenomenon. Amidst a sea of lazy, simplified-to-the-point-of-catchyness, repetitive, mumbled, nonsensical opiates, provocative sounds and images of protest germ, once in a while, forcing a different experience of America to the screens and playlists of an hyped-up audience. The struggle for affordable housing is as relevant as ever, as the concentration of poverty hinders access to equal chances more than it allows elevation, confining people to barely survivable conditions. Finally, consumerism has moved on from store fronts and malls straight to your door, giving birth to new giants whose profits will reshape previously protected environmental boundaries and move the political tectonic plates under the guise of beneficial opportunity and necessary evil.

More than slogans and incendiary lyrics to be quoted at home and amongst friends, playing Rage Against the Machine becomes an exercise that encourages curiosity, the questioning of authority and action in those with enough willpower to invest. It is adding fuel to a fire that could be seen either as consuming the social fabric for the unrest it generates and the diverging opinions, or as a torch symbolizing freedom for all. Pick a side.

1. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59260704

2. https://www.atlantapd.org/about-apd/apd-history

3. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/hidden-plain-sight-racism-white-supremacy-and-far-right-militancy-law#footnote7_nn34ten

4. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/13/us/officer-charles-anderson-ku-klux-klan.html

5. https://scholarship.law.uwyo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1254&context=wlr

6. https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/670/lee-v-weisman

7. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-pray-no-play/

8. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/mn-court-of-appeals/1085860.html

9. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/williams-stanley-tookie-iii-1953-2005/

10. https://www.loc.gov/folklife/ribbons/ribbons.html

11. https://www.ushmm.org/collections/bibliography/nazi-propaganda-1

12. https://www.uvm.edu/~dguber/POLS234/articles/allen.pdf