During our medieval history, there were three estates: The Clergy, the Nobility, and the Commoners or serfs. In 1789 Edmund Burke, a British House of Commons member and Irishman, declared “the press is a fourth estate more important far than they all.”
Mr. Burke alluded that the press controls the people’s opinions and can force politicians to do certain things. The process worked essentially by inciting the vigor of the population toward their elected officials.
“In the old days we had the rack, now they have the press. That is an improvement certainly but still it is very bad, and wrong and demoralizing. Somebody - was it Burke? Called journalism the 4th estate. That was true at the time, no doubt. But at the present moment it is the only estate. It is the estate up the other three. The Lord’s temporal say nothing, the Lord’s spiritual have nothing to say, and the House of common has nothing to say and says it. We are dominated by journalism.”
This insightful and fantastic quote comes from Oscar Wilde, another Irishmen, in 1891. He was so spot-on 130 years ago.
The whole point of a first amendment was to have a protected group that could question aspects of the government with impunity and precludes a state-run religion like the Anglican Church. Today the Clergy have nothing to say about anything, the Nobility or elites say all kinds of pointless things, and Congress just seems to go along for the ride.
We have never viewed the three estates as these different classes of people in America because, theoretically, we are a classless society. Yet our founding fathers did view our government, the current one, as having three separate estates or classes. The Constitution separated it into articles— one for the congressional, Article 2 for the Executive, and Article 3 for the Judiciary branch.
In a working American Society, our Congress, the protectors of the purse strings, would real in the government by withholding money. The Executive enacts the laws by Congress, is to follow the lead given to them by the Congress, which is elected. Yes, I know the president is elected. Yet that post does not have the power to promise money to anybody, much less fight a war against an undeclared enemy. The Judiciary looks at the laws through the lens of only the Constitution, not international law or modern entities.
America can all work because the press can tell “We the People” when our government is not doing its job. Mark Twain warned us that:
“The press is the fourth estate, and it is essential to a healthy democracy. It is the job of the press to hold those in power accountable, to investigate wrongdoing, and to inform the public about important issues.”
I wonder what Mr. Twain would say today about what is passing for a “Free Press?” Given the deception the “Discord Papers” release indicates, I am sure Mark Twain would have sat down with a cigar and Whiskey Sour in exasperation. He probably would have penned something along the lines of:
“The Press is a mighty force in our society. It has failed to tell us the truth, it has failed to expose the corruption, to enlighten, and to entertain us. It has failed to make us laugh, cry, and to make us think. It has failed to be independent, to be impartial, and to be fair. The hen house remains unguarded for our watchdogs are eating at the trough of government. It has failed to be The Press.” (Not by Mark Twain)
With the Fourth Estates Role being to criticize the government, why would they help the FBI arrest somebody who published material that shows we were lied to as a country? Jack Teixeira (Tay-she-era in this columnist’s head) did not reveal any spies or locations specific to our special forces in Ukraine or the technology to stop the hypersonic missiles China is currently touting. He only produced material first classified as a lie. If it was a lie, why arrest him? Then categorized as treasonous but not charged with that.
Currently awaiting trial on Title 18 charges of the USC, nobody is talking about the content of what was supposed to be fake information.
I have been able to determine through 2nd hand public information that he supplied not intel, but intel assessment. The big difference is that the sources are cleaned of essential data before distribution. That is to protect the boots on the ground.
Why Jack Teixeira may have done this, I don’t know. As a 21-year-old IT help guy, he would not have had direct knowledge to access the “assessment.” He may have had the clearance, but he would not have known where to get it if it was not given to him.
What does this all mean?
The Lame Stream Media is no longer of service. There may be some independent individuals, or the rare small organization, that can be trusted. But as a rule, we are not protected; we are persecuted by “The Fourth Estate,” I am more than willing to tie them to the 28 government intelligence agencies, AKA the “Back Room.” A Free Press would have helped and protected Teixeira as a source, not hung him to dry on the Fan Belt Inspectors (FBI) clothesline.
Whistleblowers be ware. Depending on whom you approach, you could be served up like a goose for Christmas Dinner.
I challenge the Corporate Media to stop massaging their egos and do something worth their time. Why are the facts we are fighting a war against Russia, unprepared for Hypersonic Glide Bombs, and Dr Fauci Made millions during the pandemic not news? But the idea this child Teixeira was at a shooting range with a large rifle making racial slurs is worth reporting?
Assuming the assessment posted by OG in Discord is true, why are we not looking at how special forces are involved in combat in Ukraine? It is a broad interpretation linking action against Russia in Ukraine to “The War on Terror” authorized by Congress in October of 2001. Hence, me thinks we have an illegal war here. Prove me wrong, please.
Stay curious, and seek the truth.