THE ESTATES IN THE US

THE ESTATES IN THE US

 My father proudly worked for the Fourth Estate (Press). He made us understand the importance of a free and honest press. What he didn't explain was the history. Edmond Burke identified three estates as it related to the parliament in 1771. The Lord's Spiritual (clergy), the Lord's temporal (nobles), and the commons. The press is the fourth estate. In the 1960s, some argued there is a fifth estate, the alternative press. What we now call bloggers, social media, and influencers. 

Today, the most reliable (honest /unbiased) news platforms or outlets are: Associated Press, Reuters, BBC News, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The New York Times, C-SPAN, NPR. MSNBC and Fox are further down the list because both are biased. Fox news has been the #1 rated news channel for 22 years. Fox covers the news. However, its personalities lie, promote disinformation, and peddle propaganda. In terms of the Fifth Estate, Facebook is the #1 social media platform. X is #12. Neither block lies and falsehoods.  

In the US, we redefined the estates. The courts now stand in for the Clergy. The legislative and the executive continue to act like nobles. The fourth estate exists however, the fifth estate seems to take over the role played by a free press. According to the constitution, the people are supposed to come first. "We the People..." But do they? Are they even third? 

There are 195 countries in the world. Dictators rule 59 countries. Some argue that more countries, including the US, are moving to dictatorship. 

One in which the executive is the first estate. The government reports to the executive and executes executive orders. The alternative press is the propaganda arm of the executive. Neither is a separate estate. The second estate becomes the Leading CEOs and oligarchs. The third estate, the people, have no voice or representation. Their taxes and a rubber stamp vote every four years keep the First Estate in power. There is no fourth estate.