Convergence

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1960: the first US Presidential Election where television makes the difference

1991: the end of the Soviet Union attributed in part to the VCR which enabled citizens to see how people in the other parts of the world lived

1991: here in America a "home" video of Rodney King provides footage of LA Police use of force, if not the context for the beating - LA riots after police acquittal

1999: MoveOnPAC is established allowing technology to empower large numbers of small donors

2004: People-powered Howard Dean nearly knocks off the beltway pick for the Democratic nominee. Meetup allows supporters to organize from bottom up rather than from top down

2006: The Internet and video technology converge in YouTube. The media is still the message but who controls the media? In an era where even mobile phones can capture video and anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can upload video to YouTube, it would seem that elected officials no longer control what voters know. Things may never be the same.

Watch the video at Wonkette.

Then try the experiment recommended by BAGnewsNotes to view the video with sound on and with sound off.