+++
date    = "2026-07-26T02:17:08+00:00"
lastmod = "2026-07-26T02:17:08+00:00"
tags    = [ "musings" ]
+++

There's another old [interesting thing](/tdro/messages/poetry/#tdro-messages-poetry) called the estates of the realm.
These are the loudest voices in/on the social sphere, roughly. 

{{< disclose `With a more classical view one could say with additions that:`>}}
  - **1st estate:** Church and clergy
  - **2nd estate:** Nobles, elites, magistrates, government administrators or offices
  - **3rd estate:** Peasants, commoners, or the people
  - **4th estate:** The press, news, and media gauntlet
  - **5th estate:** Journalists, technocrats, scientists, and other authoritative {{< render `{{< abbr STEM "science, technology, engineering, mathematics" >}}` >}} figures,
    influencers, podcasters, and other powerful independent voices alike.
  - **6th estate:** Corporations and collective corporate powers
{{</ disclose >}}

If somehow (anything's possible nowadays) the fourth through sixth become as
distrusted as the first and second, then know that for the record I was simply a
commoner... just one of the people. ;)