One of the most powerful songs produced by Rage Against the Machine is "Know Your Enemy." The enemy is within, is the message of the song. The enemy is sometimes the United States itself: as in the case with the Rodney King beatings. Police brutality had been an ongoing political issue long before Rodney King's story made the mainstream media. Moreover police brutality disproportionately impacted persons who were politically disenfranchised. The African-American community mistrusted the police because the police represented an illegitimate authority. Rather than invest money to repair impoverished African-American communities, the American government invested money into a militant police force that would oppress, subjugate, and humiliate its own citizens.

The American Dream never existed; it was all a lie. This was especially true for the African-American community. The vocals of "Know Your Enemy" are sung rap-style as if a tribute to the black community in America. Furthermore, the...
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