The Fourth Estate:
Etymology... A power other than the three estates (the Lords Spiritual, the Lords Temporal, and the House of Commons) in the United Kingdom... these three original estates were also known as the three traditional 'estates' of society: the aristocracy, the Church, and the ordinary people.
Definition of The Fourth Estate: Journalists considered as a group; the public press.
I think everyone would agree that the basic idea behind the Fourth Estate is that it is the watch dog over the three estates excesses and are an essential part of a free society.
Journalism has a noble past and has been the public's main source of information and protection from the dangers of unbridled power and corruption within the three estates and has historically been a important tool that has aided in the preservation of our personal liberties in this, the greatest country of liberty in the world.
However... recent disturbing events are even now erupting throughout our great land that illustrate the demise and perhaps death of our once great fourth estate, the public press.
Without an independent public press, without our Fourth Estate, arrogance, corruption and danger to our personal liberties are circling in the waters of our democracy.
Example 1:
The arrogance of Congress / Congress rejects will of the people
Congress’ arrogance has been on full display throughout the prolonged debate over healthcare. Congress's arrogance has been opened to public scrutiny in their pronouncements that they will pass healthcare by "any means necessary", a bill that is both unwritten and unknown as to it's final form (as of todays date, although in it's current form the bill totals more than 2,700 pages of obfuscation and double entendre) a bill that the majority of Americans oppose, a bill of which Speaker Nancy Pelosi opined on March 10, 2010 "But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy."
Example 2:
Attorney General Holder Failed to give legal briefs to Senate
Attorney General Eric Holder failed to tell the Senate about seven legal briefs he signed when lawmakers considered his nomination to his current job, according to a letter released on Friday.
Two of the briefs involved appeals to the Supreme Court for Jose Padilla, who sought release from a military prison in South Carolina where he was being held after then-President George W. Bush designated him an “enemy combatant.”
Padilla was held in a military brig for three years before his case was moved to a criminal court in Miami, where he was convicted on charges of offering his services to militants. see: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62B48P20100312?type=politicsNews
Sound familiar? Would this information about Holders past have been useful before the debacle of the Christmas Day Bomber being Mirandized within 15 minutes of his arrest? This is of serious import as Holder is nothing more that a reflection of Obama’s ideology. The Obama Administration bases much of their ideology on the primary belief that America is responsible for all the evils in the world, that america has brought evil upon itself due to its overwhelming global success’ and freedoms. This Administration has clearly illustrated its beliefs that success comes at the expense of others and is self serving and that success is wrong if not evil. Their ideology is to redesign America into a sub-standard country that will no longer be the leader of the Free World, the Ensign of Freedom. Socialism, tyranny, call it what you may, this regime is out to destroy the freedoms we have in the name of rebuilding our democracy in their own image… that of imminent domain over its citizens rights and freedoms in the name of their historically flawed ideology.
Example 3.
Pelosi and Reid Promise Increased Congressional Transparency
December 5, 2006 see: http://www.ombwatch.org/node/3114
The New Democratic leadership in Congress is urging transparency as a primary tool to reform the legislative process. According to statements from incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), the leadership is planning several new rules and pieces of legislation on tracking earmarks, requiring time to read proposed legislation, and media access to conference committe activities - all with a central theme of increased congressional transparency.
Unfortunately, things have turned out very different under the leadership of Reid and Pelosi. The fraud of the healthcare debate, the closed door, back room deals for special interests and unions, the Nebraska and Louisiana kickbacks that were effectively bribes for those states senatorial votes, the endless earmarks, billions in pork barrel spending, the list goes on and on and on, all contradict the promise of two of the nations most powerful politicians...
Example 4.
Pelosi promises the most open and ethical congress in history
February 26, 2010 see: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/83919-pelosi-we-are-the-most-ethical-congress
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Friday said that she is running the most ethical Congress in history.
All I can say about Pelosi... "she is living in a dream world Neo"...
Example 5.
Charlie Rangle’s Financial and Tax Scandals
see: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2129267/charlie_rangels_financial_and_tax_scandals.html
Charlie Rangel, Chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee writes all tax law in the United States, is himself a tax cheat.
“Last week, we learned that Rangel filed a grossly misleading financial disclosure report for 2007 - failing to report at least half a million dollars in assetts...”
Democrats continue to stand behind Rangel even as more scandals have emerged. He continues to find huge support among fellow democrats, including Nancy Pelosi. On March 2, 2010 Charlie Rangle stepped down from the Ways and Means committee chairmanship and stated he would be back.
If he were a Republican, he would be forced out of the House by now...
Example 6.
Eric Massa
The house recently passed a resolution on a 360 to 2 vote to conduct an investigation into Eric Massa’s alleged physical sexual harassment of congressional staffers and interns.
Eric Massa resigned from Congress just a few short days ago under the cloud of misconduct and sexual harassment of congressional aides and staffers. Massa’s looney public explanations leading to his resignation have been met with scorn and pity.
Pelosi knew of Massa’s Misconduct in October 2009.
Politico reported on March 10, 2010 that Pelosi knew of Massa’s misconduct in October. see: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34237.html
We now know that Pelosi knew about Massa's misconduct in October 2009. As Speaker she had a legal obligation to investigate, yet she withheld this information from investigation, Why? Perhaps it was one of the many 'chips' she keeps in her back pocket, dirt she has compiled on so many of her colleagues in congress to be used at a later date when she "requires their vote". Perhaps this information about Massa was to be used at a later date in order to get Massa's vote on healthcare? Is it possible that the looney Massa did tell the truth when he stated publicly that he was ‘outed’ because he refused to vote for healthcare?
Death of the 4th Estate
The number of examples of corruption, deceit and outright lies from our public officials read as long as the current healthcare bill of more than 2,700 pages, but without a doubt corruption is now unbridled and unchecked in our government.
One must ask why? Were not the democrats elected en masse because they are the party of hope and change, the touchy-feely party, the party of trust, honesty and the party that is in tune with the individualism of America?
The facts show a decidedly different democratic party, one of back room deals, secret meetings, special pay offs and bribes, politics of personal destruction, extravagant lifestyles at the expense of tax payer dollars, monarch like disdain for their constituents... When the jobless numbers rise again (and they will) I wouldn’t be surprised to hear Pelosi's next public retort to rising unemployment... “Let them eat cake."
Again, one must ask why the massive corruption in such a short time in power? It seems that the democrats don’t even care if the public knows about their dark deeds.
The answer is simple. It began many years ago and was recognize by many open minded americans during the election year of 2008.
In 2008 our free, public press publicly abdicated their independence in favor of their candidate, Barack Husein Obama, a candidate who finally shared their ideology, a progressive ideology, the dangerous ideology of the Obama Administration. Our press has become a servant of this ideology and bury and reject stories (ie. Acorn) that could be damaging to those in power that the press openly support. Our press has effectively turned the microphone over to Obama and blindly do the bidding of his Administration. Our press has lost their independence and have fallen from the lofty role of Fourth Estate.
The Death of the Fourth Estate is the main reason for the growing corruption in Washington, and because there is no independent Fourth Estate, no check and balance to those in power, the corruption will continue to escalate without pause, without mercy and the liberties of the American People will be put to the test, trampled upon and dismissed via an ever growing, ever expanding federal government.
